Antetokounmpo to play for Greece at Eurobasket
The president of the Greek Federation has officially announced it. The NBA star will play for his country again three years after the 2019 World Cup.
Giannis Antetokounmpo , top scorer for the Milwaukee Bucks and NBA champion with this team last year, will play with the Greek team in the Eurobasket to be held between September 1 and 18, the president of the Greek federation announced on Friday.
“Giannis loves the national team. He is an athlete who loves Greece and we want that will be with us in the Eurobasket”, said Liolios on the Greek public radio ERA Sport.
The Greek-Nigerian basketball player, two-time NBA MVP, will thus reinforce the Greek team at Eurobasket 2021, which will be held jointly in Germany, Czech Republic, Georgia and Italy. Originally, the championship was going to take place in September of last year, but due to covid-19 and the consequent postponing of the Olympic tournament, the date was changed to 2022. Greece has been drawn in the third group - which will be played in Milan - and will have Italy, Estonia, Croatia, Ukraine and England as rivals in the first phase.
Antetokounmpo had not played with Greece since the World Cup in China in 2019, which ended with a victory for Spain. Last season in the NBA he averaged 29.9 points, 11.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists in Milwaukee.
Additionally, the Greeks will face the Spanish national basketball team in a friendly match at the OAKA on August 9 and then on the 11 in Madrid .