NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo proudly donned his jersey of Greece and hoisted the nation’s flag, ready to lead his home country in EuroBasket 2025, which tips off on August 27.
The two-time NBA MVP will spearhead the Greek national team’s campaign, with group stage games in Cyprus and Riga, Latvia, and the knockout rounds culminating in Riga.
The “Greek Freak” had previously expressed his desire to participate and will now lead a squad that also features key players such as Kostas Sloukas, Kostas Papanikolaou, and naturalized player Tyler Dorsey.
Notably absent from this year’s roster are veterans such as Nikos Rogavopoulos, Giorgos Papagiannis, Nick Calathes, Thomas Walkup, and Ioannis Papapetrou, who recently retired from basketball. However, the squad will introduce fresh talent with the inclusion of promising youth players Neoklis Avdalas, Alexandros Samotourov, and Lefteris Liotopoulos, who impressed with the Youth National Team.
A homecoming dream to Greece for Giannis Antetokounmpo
Earlier in July, Antetokounmpo shared his dream of returning to Athens and playing once again for the basketball team where his illustrious career took off as a teenager.
Giannis Antetokounmpo spoke not only about his basketball career but also his long-term vision, expressing a strong desire to return to his roots in Athens. Giannis, the Milwaukee Bucks superstar, emphasized his deep connection to Athens, stating, “I can’t wait when every season ends to return to my home. I feel comfortable here. When I retire, I plan to stay here. Always in Athens. Athens is my home.”
Perhaps the most resonant part of his talk was his aspiration to rejoin his brothers at Filathlitikos, the Athens club where he first played as a teenager. “We can go back and play for Filathlitikos, one or two seasons, promote it to the first division,” Giannis declared, envisioning a future in which he could contribute directly to the club that shaped his early career.
