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Giannis Antetokounmpo’s strong message following Greece’s bronze medal win in EuroBasket
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- Giannis Antetokounmpo’s strong message following Greece’s bronze medal win in EuroBasket
The post Giannis Antetokounmpo's strong message following Greece's bronze medal win in EuroBasket appeared first on ClutchPoints .
The star-studded 2025 EuroBasket competition saw Germany win gold , Turkey win silver, and Greece take home bronze. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the way for the Greeks to win their first medal in any basketball event since 2009, also EuroBasket. After the game, the Milwaukee Bucks star made sure to let everyone know what his plans for the future were.
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Greece finished Group play with a 4-1 record and reached the semifinals before falling to Alperen Sengun and Turkey.
In the bronze medal game against Finland, Antetokounmpo outplayed Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen and finished with 30 points, 17 rebounds, six assists, two blocks, and one steal in 31 minutes of action. Markkanen, who had a stellar tournament for host Finland, finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds in 31 minutes of play in the bronze medal game.
After the tournament, Giannis Antetokounmpo called the bronze medal victory the greatest accomplishment in his career.
"I always like to live in the present," Antetokounmpo said. "This was something that I hadn't accomplished in my career and I'm very, very happy that I accomplished this, on top of coach Vassilis. This if not better than the championship I won with the Bucks. Obviously winning a championship for the NBA is a huge accomplishment. Milwaukee is an incredible city, but it's 500,000 or 600,000 people. When you're able to make 12 million Greeks happy and being able to inspire the next generation the way that they inspired us and the way that previous generations in 1987 inspired them, I think its the biggest thing ever."
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In the 2006 FIBA World Cup, Greece defeated Team USA in the semifinals, 101-95, to reach the gold medal game against Spain.
The Bucks star says he drew inspiration from that massive victory and hopes to be able to inspire the next generation of basketball players coming out of Greece.
"I'm just very, very happy and focused that we were able to do this," Antetokounmpo added. "There's a kid right now watching the TV that is going to be very, very happy and he's going to believe that one day, he can win a medal with the national team the same way I believed when they won, when they beat USA team in Japan. Now, fast forward 20 years later, I'm on this podium with a medal. Man, it's probably the best accomplishment I've had in my career."
Before finishing his remarks on the victory, Giannis Antetokounmpo made sure to send a message to the Greek Basketball Federation and the world with regards to his next potential international appearance.
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"I don't want to put you in a tough spot coach, but if Coach [Vassilis] Spanoulis is not here, I'm not here. The moment he's here, I'm here. It's as simple as that. He brings the best out of me, he brings the best out of the team, and he has a winning mentality. I just want to be able to be with people that have greatness and people that have been there before and people that know what it takes to win and people that know how to push their best players and the whole team."
Vassilis Spanoulis only had a minor stint in the NBA, where he played 31 games for the Houston Rockets during the 2006-07 season. But Spanoulis has had a highly decorated international career, playing professionally for 19 years across Europe from 2001-2021.
Spanoulis recorded 13,533 points throughout his career, won silver in the 2006 FIBA World Cup, Gold in the 2005 FIBA EuroBasket, and bronze in the 2009 FIBA EuroBasket. It's no surprise that Antetokounmpo holds Spanoulis in high regard and appreciates what he's done not only as a player, but now as a medal-winning coach as well.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo finished the 2025 EuroBasket tournament averaging 27.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 68.5 percent from the field.
The Bucks star will have a few weeks to rest before media day and training camp begins in Milwaukee for the 2025-26 NBA season.
Related: Giannis in tears after Greece beats Lauri Markkanen, Finland for bronze in EuroBasket
Related: Giannis Antetokounmpo's passing prowess draws criticism from Alperen Sengun
