So tired of the cyber attacks. I get it, a lot of you don’t like what I write. Shame you don’t believe in free speech. I have nobody paying me to do this nor an active NBA player to bankroll cyber defences.
Moved to the public version of WordPress.
Maybe spend more time seeing how much I got right and wondering if you are believing the hype instead of looking at the stats.
Alex Antetokounmpo, the youngest member of the Antetokounmpo basketball family, is currently on a two-way contract with the Milwaukee Bucks, having spent previous seasons developing in the NBA’s G League and overseas. While his career is still in its early stages, his unique athletic profile and family name have kept him in the spotlight. However, the influence of nepotism on his NBA pathway and the Bucks’ roster construction continues to provoke discussion and criticism.
Standing at 2.03 meters (about 6’7″) with a wingspan reportedly reaching 7’2”, Alex is an athletic combo forward. His background includes experience in both European leagues (Aris Thessaloniki) and NBA G League teams, such as the Wisconsin Herd and Raptors 905. He’s known for his physical tools, competitive drive, and the potential to fill multiple forward roles on the floor.
| Season | Team | MPG | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | 3P% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | Wisconsin Herd | 21.2 | 5.7 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 32.0 | 19.6 | 71.4 |
| 2022-23 | Wisconsin Herd | 22.3 | 5.8 | 3.1 | 0.8 | 37.2 | 24.7 | 55.9 |
| Career | 18.6 | 5.0 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 36.7 | 24.7 | 63.3 |
Despite his potential upside, Alex currently projects as a fringe rotation player—his ceiling will depend on significant development in skill areas and decision-making. Scouts note he could become a switchable defender and secondary playmaker with 3-and-D value, but this requires improvement in perimeter shooting, ball security, and on-ball defense.
The Antetokounmpo family connection undeniably influences roster decisions. Giannis’s status as the franchise centerpiece has led the Bucks to extend opportunities to his brothers, including Thanasis and Alex, often at the expense of more competitive or developmental roster spots. High-profile commentators have called out this nepotism, suggesting it undermines meritocratic team building and can create resentment or frustration among teammates striving for opportunities on talent alone.
Alex Antetokounmpo’s NBA journey is emblematic of both the opportunities and controversies created by family ties in pro sports. He embodies raw physical talent and hustle but lacks a specialized skill set at the moment. For now, his presence on the Bucks is less a product of exceptional on-court impact than of Giannis’s influence, and ongoing nepotism risks diminishing the franchise’s talent pipeline and fairness in player development.
The real problem is Giannis. A 30 year old adult claiming he needs his brothers around to perform? Are we all serious?
There really is not that much to go on so here are all my sources for this post.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, even after over a decade in the league has certain aspects of his game stubbornly underdeveloped. These weaknesses—ranging from inconsistent shooting to poor screening and defensive lapses—can be traced back to his unconventional entry into basketball. Unlike many NBA stars who honed their skills from childhood, Giannis didn’t start playing organized basketball until he was around 13 years old, first touching a basketball at that age and beginning professional play in Greece at 16. This late start meant he missed out on years of foundational training, where muscle memory for technical skills like shooting form, screen-setting technique, and quick decision-making is typically built. Instead, Giannis has relied heavily on his extraordinary physical gifts—length, speed, and power—to compensate, but these gaps persist, affecting both his individual performance and the Milwaukee Bucks’ team dynamics.
One of the most glaring and persistent issues in Giannis’ arsenal is his shooting, particularly from the free-throw line and long range. Despite years of practice and tweaks to his routine, his career free-throw percentage hovers at a mediocre 69.3%, dipping to 61.7% in recent seasons. This isn’t just a minor flaw; it’s a strategic vulnerability that opponents exploit, especially in playoffs, by fouling him intentionally to disrupt drives and force him to the line. Insiders have pointed out that if Giannis could convert at a higher rate—given he leads the league in free-throw attempts—he’d likely have more MVP trophies, as it would naturally boost his scoring average without additional shots.
Beyond free throws, his overall shooting profile reveals deficiencies. He’s historically struggled with three-pointers and mid-range shots, posting some of the lowest field-goal percentages in the league in these areas during playoffs. While recent developments show improvement in mid-range efficiency (hitting 54.5% over stretches and ranking second league-wide in certain periods), his form lacks the fluidity of players who drilled jumpers from a young age. And of course he has no mid range when it matters in the playoffs or harder regular season games. This ties directly to his late start: Shooting is a skill rooted in repetition and mechanics developed early. Without that foundation, Giannis’ attempts often look mechanical or forced, relying on power rather than touch. In half-court sets, defenses sag off him, daring him to shoot, which clogs driving lanes and limits his effectiveness as a playmaker.
Screen-setting might seem like a basic team skill, but for Giannis, it’s a glaring weakness that hampers the Bucks’ offense. Analysts describe his screens as “ghost screens”—half-hearted efforts where he doesn’t establish a solid base, sets them too high, or angles them poorly, allowing defenders to slip through easily. With his massive 7-foot, 253-pound frame, he should be a screening powerhouse, but instead, he often prioritizes rolling to the rim for his own scoring opportunities, leading to shoddy execution. Statistically, this shows: He averages just over two screen assists per game, generating only five points, and the Bucks rank near the bottom in off-screen efficiency at 0.5 points per possession.
This flaw is particularly damaging in pick-and-roll heavy schemes with stars like Damian Lillard, where effective screens create space for pull-ups or drives. Without them, the offense stagnates, forcing isolation plays. Again, the late start explains this: Screening requires precise footwork, body positioning, and timing—fundamentals drilled in youth leagues. Giannis, who jumped straight into high-level play without that base, treats it as an afterthought, leaning on his athleticism to dominate individually rather than synergize with teammates.
Giannis’ screening IQ is obviously something that can’t magically appear. He doesn’t understand angles at the most fundamental level. He also doesn’t understand
Giannis is a defensive monster—his length and instincts earned him DPOY honors—but he isn’t flawless. Critics note he struggles with quick reactions in certain scenarios, like chasing guards around screens or maintaining off-ball awareness. He can “fall asleep” off the ball, failing to rotate promptly or box out, which leads to easy rebounds or cuts for opponents. While his help defense is elite, perimeter switching exposes slower lateral quickness against shifty guards, and his reactions in complex schemes can lag.
This isn’t about effort but ingrained habits. Starting basketball late meant less exposure to defensive drills that build anticipation and reaction speed. Players like Kawhi Leonard or Draymond Green, who started young, have that intuitive read-and-react ability honed over years. For Giannis, defense is more reactive to his physical tools than proactive fundamentals, making him vulnerable in playoff matchups where teams scheme to isolate these gaps.
Giannis’ passing is another area where limitations shine through. While he averages solid assists, he’s not a “great passer,” as opponents like Alperen Sengun have exploited by collapsing the paint and forcing him into tough decisions. In half-court sets, he struggles with quick reads, often over-dribbling (sometimes for 14 seconds) or opting for isolation shots instead of hitting open teammates. This contributes to the Bucks’ low rankings in passes and assists, turning a potential juggernaut into a predictable unit.
Tied to his late start, decision-making under pressure requires basketball IQ built from countless reps in varied scenarios. Without early immersion, Giannis defaults to his strengths—driving or pulling up—rather than orchestrating like a true point forward.
Giannis’ handle lacks creativity, making him predictable when trapped. He
doesn’t have a wide array of counter moves, often resorting to the same Euro-step or spin without variation. Bad habits compound this: fascination with inefficient isolation mid-rangers or dribble-up threes, poor off-ball movement, and inconsistent boxing out. These stem from relying on physical dominance rather than refined skills, a byproduct of skipping foundational years.
Giannis’ weaknesses aren’t from lack of effort—he’s worked tirelessly to improve. But starting at 13 meant building a skyscraper on a shallow foundation; the cracks show in technical areas requiring early muscle memory. For the Bucks to contend, Giannis must evolve beyond isolation heroics, embracing team play like better screens and quicker passes. At 30, there’s still time, but these lingering issues remind us: Even freaks of nature have human origins.
In the NBA’s endless hypothetical superteam debates, few pairings spark as much intrigue as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Stephen Curry. On paper, the Greek Freak’s athletic dominance combined with Curry’s unparalleled shooting seems like a recipe for dynasty-level success. But dig deeper, and the fit starts to unravel. Giannis’s playing style—dominated by ball possession, physical drives, and limited off-ball contributions—clashes with Curry’s need for fluid motion, elite screening, and quick decision-making.
Stephen Curry’s game revolves around off-ball movement and using screens to create space for his lethal three-point shooting. He’s thrived with screen-setters like Draymond Green, who not only set solid picks but also read defenses, slip when needed, and facilitate from the short roll. Giannis, however, is notoriously poor at this fundamental big-man skill, often prioritizing his own scoring over team play.
Observers have noted that Giannis tends to set screens too high or fails to establish a solid base, allowing defenders to slip around easily and disrupt the play. In pick-and-roll situations, he frequently slips the screen prematurely to hunt mismatches in the post, demanding the ball instead of creating opportunities for others. This self-focused approach was critiqued in analyses of his role with the Bucks, where even fans and analysts questioned his commitment to screening as a key offensive tool. For Curry, who relies on screens to generate 40% of his shots (per NBA tracking data), this would be disastrous. Without reliable picks, defenses could switch or hedge more aggressively on Curry, stifling his rhythm and forcing him into contested looks. Giannis’s athleticism might help in transition, but in half-court sets—where Curry does his damage—his screening lapses would turn the offense stagnant.
Social media echoes this sentiment, with recent discussions highlighting Giannis’s bad screening as a persistent flaw that hampers guard-big synergies. In a system like Golden State’s, where screening is an art form, Giannis’s habits would clash, leaving Curry isolated and underutilized.
Giannis is one of the league’s highest-usage players, often controlling the ball for extended possessions to bulldoze to the rim. This “ball hog” label isn’t new—it’s been thrown at him in high-profile feuds, like with James Harden, who implied Giannis’s style lacks passing nuance. Stats back it up: Giannis’s usage rate hovers around 33-35%, meaning he touches the ball on a massive portion of possessions, often leading to iso-heavy play. Critics argue this pads his stats but doesn’t elevate teammates as effectively as true facilitators.
Curry, conversely, excels off the ball, using gravity to warp defenses even without possession. Pairing him with Giannis would force Curry into a spot-up role more often, diminishing his playmaking (he averaged 6.5 assists in 2024-25). Recent Bucks games highlighted this issue: when Giannis dominated the ball, teammates like Damian Lillard saw reduced touches, leading to frustration and inefficiency. On X (formerly Twitter), users frequently call out Giannis’s hogging, with posts noting how it led to losses despite his gaudy lines. In a Curry-led offense, this possessiveness would create tension, as Steph’s motion-based system demands quick ball movement—not prolonged dribble drives.
Curry is synonymous with clutch performance, hitting game-winners and thriving under pressure with a career 43% three-point shooting in clutch situations. Giannis? His clutch stats tell a mixed story at best, often marred by poor free-throw shooting and decision-making. In 2024-25, he shot just 68.8% from the line in clutch minutes, missing key opportunities. Overall clutch efficiency ranks him mid-tier among stars, with a +15.1 net rating but inconsistent scoring (3.6 PPG in clutch games).
Critics point to playoff meltdowns, like the 2023 first-round exit where his free-throw woes (notably in clutch spots) contributed to the Bucks’ collapse. On X, discussions label him “not clutch,” citing games where he deferred or bricked in crunch time. For a duo with Curry, who’d draw double-teams late, Giannis’s unreliability—especially from the stripe—could cost championships. Defenses would foul him intentionally, turning potential wins into free-throw lotteries.
Most damning is Giannis’s perceived low basketball IQ, slow processing, and struggles with complex plays—traits that would torpedo a partnership with Curry’s cerebral, read-and-react style. Gilbert Arenas famously questioned Giannis’s smarts, asking if he’s “smarter than LeBron James or Stephen Curry” and arguing his success stems from athleticism, not intellect. Videos and analyses highlight players doubting his IQ, noting he relies on raw power over nuanced reads.
Reddit threads debate this, with many concluding he’s not “high IQ” despite stats. His reaction time in half-court offenses is slower, often leading to forced drives rather than exploiting mismatches creatively. Curry’s Warriors run intricate sets with split actions, back screens, and rapid decisions—Giannis’s inability to “think or react fast” would bog it down. Even his passing, while improved (7.3 APG in 2024), is critiqued as basic, not elite like Jokic’s or LeBron’s. In advanced plays, he’d struggle to adapt, turning a dynamic offense into a predictable one.
Hypothetical analyses of a Giannis-Curry pairing acknowledge the gravitational pull but warn of stylistic clashes. While some see it as “unfair” dominance, others note Giannis’s limitations would hinder Curry’s freedom.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is a force of nature, but his screening deficiencies, ball-hogging, clutch inconsistencies, and limited IQ make him a poor fit for Stephen Curry’s ecosystem. Curry needs space creators and quick thinkers; Giannis provides brute force but at the cost of flow. In a league where chemistry trumps talent alone, this duo would frustrate more than dominate. Better to keep them apart—let Giannis bulldoze in Milwaukee, and Curry dance in the Bay. Real skills matter and Giannis simply hasn’t developed them at all. If anything he is getting worse (at ft% and 3pt% for sure.) As usual, Bucks (and Golden State) fans are talking as if the NBA is a video game.
In the ever-evolving drama of the NBA, few stories capture the tension between player power and organizational loyalty quite like the recent saga involving Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. On October 8, 2025, the two-time MVP made headlines with comments that hinted at a potential exit from Milwaukee if the team doesn’t contend for a championship this season. “Right now, my focus is on the Bucks,” Giannis said, “but it’s human nature to change your mind if things don’t go as planned.” These words, amid swirling trade rumors linking him to the New York Knicks—especially after their blockbuster acquisition of Karl-Anthony Towns—sparked immediate backlash.
Enter NBA legend Charles Barkley, who didn’t mince words during an appearance on ESPN. Barkley lambasted Giannis for what he perceives as entitlement, stating, “These guys, they feel like they’re entitled to play for the championship every year. … Everybody wants to win a championship, but the Bucks have done everything they possibly could.” Barkley’s critique resonates deeply, not just because of his Hall of Fame credentials, but because it highlights a stark reality: the Bucks have bent over backward to build a contender around Giannis, often at great cost to their future. In this blog post, we’ll dive into why Barkley is spot-on and why Giannis’s stance comes across as ungrateful, given the franchise’s extraordinary efforts.
Let’s rewind to 2013. The Milwaukee Bucks, a small-market team often overshadowed in the NBA landscape, took a gamble on a lanky, relatively unknown teenager from Greece in the NBA Draft. Selected 15th overall, Giannis Antetokounmpo was far from a sure thing—raw talent with immense potential but little polish. The Bucks didn’t just draft him; they invested years in his development. Through dedicated coaching, strength training, and on-court opportunities, they transformed him from a skinny prospect into the “Greek Freak,” a dominant force who would go on to win two MVP awards, a Defensive Player of the Year honor, and lead the team to glory.
This patience and belief paid off spectacularly in 2021 when Giannis delivered a championship to Milwaukee, ending a 50-year drought. His 50-point masterpiece in the Finals closeout game earned him MVP honors, cementing his legacy. But the Bucks’ commitment didn’t start or end there—it was a foundational bet on his future that no other team might have made.
Barkley’s point about the Bucks doing “everything they possibly could” isn’t hyperbole; it’s backed by a series of bold, franchise-altering decisions. In 2020, sensing the need for a defensive anchor to complement Giannis, Milwaukee traded Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, and multiple first-round picks to acquire Jrue Holiday. This move was pivotal, directly contributing to the 2021 title run.
Post-championship, the Bucks rewarded Giannis with a five-year, $228 million supermax extension in December 2020, securing his services and signaling their long-term vision. When the team hit a rough patch, they didn’t hesitate to shake things up. In May 2023, they fired championship-winning coach Mike Budenholzer after a first-round playoff exit to the Miami Heat. They hired Adrian Griffin in June 2023, only to dismiss him mid-season despite a 30-13 record, replacing him with Doc Rivers—moves that aligned with Giannis’s preferences for change.
The Bucks went even further in September 2023, trading Jrue Holiday, Grayson Allen, and more picks to Portland for Damian Lillard, pairing Giannis with another superstar guard in a desperate bid to reignite contention. This trade mortgaged their draft capital through 2031, leaving the team with limited flexibility. As Barkley noted, “The Bucks have done everything they can.”
Entering the 2025-26 season, Milwaukee continued their all-in approach. They signed Myles Turner to a four-year, $107 million deal in July 2025, adding rim protection to bolster the frontcourt alongside Giannis. Free-agent additions like Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince, and Delon Wright deepened the roster, pushing the payroll over $170 million and deep into the luxury tax’s second apron. These aren’t half-measures; they’re sacrifices that have capped the team’s future options, all to maximize Giannis’s prime.
Even on a personal level, the Bucks have shown loyalty by keeping Giannis’s brother, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, on the roster since 2019. Despite his limited on-court impact, this provides family stability—a rare perk in the cutthroat NBA.
Giannis’s hints at departure ignore a crucial factor: injuries, not front-office failures, have been the primary roadblock. In the 2024 playoffs, his absence due to injury contributed to a first-round loss to the Indiana Pacers. The Bucks’ core has been plagued by health issues, but the organization has responded by rebuilding the roster aggressively. As Barkley emphasized, “I want someone to love me as much as the Bucks love Giannis.”
In contrast to Barkley’s era, where stars like him endured years with underperforming teams without demanding trades (though Barkley himself requested one from the 76ers in the early ’90s for similar reasons), modern players expect perennial contention. But Milwaukee has delivered far beyond what’s typical for a small-market franchise. Ownership even changed hands in 2014 to fund arena upgrades and retain Giannis, demonstrating a commitment to infrastructure and stability.
Giannis’s comments smack of entitlement because they overlook his origins. Without the Bucks’ faith and resources, he might not have evolved into the superstar he is today. He publicly praised the organization’s efforts in 2021, vowing loyalty, but his recent waffling undermines that narrative. Expecting annual titles ignores the NBA’s increasing parity, with powerhouse Eastern Conference rivals like the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers.
Barkley’s frustration is echoed across the league and media. As one analyst put it, “The Bucks have given Giannis everything he wanted—they traded a ton for Jrue, for Dame, and now put themselves in cap hell.” Giannis’s stance feels ungrateful, especially when compared to players who stuck it out in tougher situations. The Bucks aren’t a dysfunctional franchise; they’re a model of player-centric building, and Barkley’s call-out serves as a reminder that loyalty should be a two-way street.
Charles Barkley isn’t just stirring the pot—he’s highlighting a fundamental truth about the NBA’s player-empowerment era. The Milwaukee Bucks have exhausted every avenue to build around Giannis Antetokounmpo, from draft investments and blockbuster trades to coaching overhauls and massive contracts. In return, veiled threats of departure come across as entitled and ungrateful, especially from a player who owes much of his success to the franchise’s unwavering support.
As the 2025-26 season unfolds, Giannis has a chance to repay that loyalty with performance and commitment. But if Barkley’s words ring true, perhaps it’s time for the Greek Freak to reflect on how far the Bucks have carried him—and how much further they could go together. In a league where rings are the ultimate goal, true greatness also involves appreciating the journey and the team that made it possible.
In the high-stakes world of the NBA, superstar players like Giannis Antetokounmpo hold immense leverage, especially when their contracts include player options. As the 2025-26 season tips off, whispers about the Greek Freak’s future with the Milwaukee Bucks are growing louder amid trade rumors and questions about the team’s championship viability. While Giannis can’t walk away immediately after this season, his contract structure sets him up for unrestricted free agency as early as the summer of 2027 – at the end of the 2026-27 season. Once he declines his player option, the Bucks will have zero recourse to keep him. Let’s break down the rules, his contract details, and why Milwaukee is essentially at his mercy.
Giannis has been a Buck since 2013, rising from a raw rookie to a two-time MVP and 2021 NBA champion. His loyalty has been rewarded with massive extensions, but the latest one – signed in October 2023 – gives him an exit ramp that’s hard for the front office to block.
The current deal is a three-year, $175 million maximum veteran extension that kicked in for the 2025-26 season. Here’s the breakdown:
The first two years are fully guaranteed, meaning Giannis is locked in through the end of the 2026-27 season. But the third year? That’s where his power shines. The player option for 2027-28 allows Giannis (or his representatives) to decide by June 29, 2027, whether to exercise it and stay with Milwaukee for one more year at that salary. If he declines – opting out – he hits unrestricted free agency (UFA) in the summer of 2027, free to sign with any team of his choosing.
This isn’t some obscure loophole; it’s a standard feature in NBA supermax contracts for stars like Giannis, who qualify under the Designated Veteran Player rules. These extensions allow teams to pay above the salary cap but often include player-friendly terms like options to maintain flexibility in a league where careers are short and contention windows narrow.
Prior to this extension, Giannis was already under a five-year, $228 million deal from 2020 that carried him through 2025-26, but the new extension superseded the final year for cap purposes. The Bucks front office, led by GM Jon Horst, structured it this way to keep their star happy while navigating the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) restrictions, including the over-36 rule (Giannis turns 33 in 2027, so no over-38 issues yet). But by building in the player option, they’ve handed Giannis the keys to his own destiny.
To understand why the Bucks can’t stop Giannis from leaving, we need to dive into the NBA’s free agency rules under the current CBA.
A player option is a contractual clause that gives the player – not the team – the unilateral right to decide whether to fulfill the final year(s) of the deal. If exercised, Giannis would play out 2027-28 in Milwaukee. But if he opts out, that year vanishes, and he becomes an unrestricted free agent. As a UFA, any NBA team can negotiate and sign him without restrictions – no qualifying offers, no right of first refusal, nothing. The Bucks’ Bird Rights (which allow over-the-cap re-signings) wouldn’t apply if he opts out and signs elsewhere; they’d only help if he stays or returns later.
Contrast this with restricted free agency, where teams can match offers. Player options like Giannis’s bypass that entirely. The CBA explicitly prohibits contracts from including clauses that limit a player’s free agency after the option period, ensuring stars can chase rings or bigger paydays elsewhere.
Moreover, Giannis doesn’t have a no-trade clause in this extension, meaning the Bucks could theoretically trade him before the opt-out deadline without his consent. But if Giannis wants to play out his guaranteed years and then bolt via free agency, Milwaukee has no leverage. They can’t force him to exercise the option, extend early (he’s eligible for a four-year, $275 million extension starting October 2026, but only if he stays), or block his departure.
In practice, this creates massive trade leverage for Giannis even before 2027. After the 2025-26 season, with just one guaranteed year left, his value skyrockets for contending teams. The Bucks would face a “trade now or lose for nothing” dilemma – a scenario that’s played out with stars like Kevin Durant and James Harden. Recent reports indicate Giannis is already exploring options, with interest from teams like the Knicks, and the Bucks are bracing for potential mid-season drama if results falter.
Giannis has repeatedly affirmed his commitment to Milwaukee, saying he’s “locked in” but leaving the door open for change if the team doesn’t contend. The Bucks have surrounded him with talent like Damian Lillard and recent additions, but back-to-back early playoff exits have fueled doubts. At 30 years old (turning 31 in December 2025), Giannis knows his prime won’t last forever. Opting out in 2027 could net him a new supermax elsewhere – potentially over $300 million – with a contender.
For the Bucks, the nightmare is losing their franchise cornerstone for nothing. They can’t poison-pill his contract or use opt-out protections because the CBA doesn’t allow it. Their only plays are winning big this and next season to convince him to extend early or trading him on his terms to recoup assets.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s player option embodies the shift toward player empowerment in the NBA. By the end of the 2026-27 season, if he chooses to walk, the Bucks are spectators – unable to match offers, extend forcibly, or retain rights. It’s a stark reminder that even loyal stars like the Greek Freak prioritize championships over sentiment. As trade rumors swirl into the 2025-26 season, Milwaukee must deliver, or risk watching their MVP depart on his own terms.
If Giannis Antetokounmpo declines his player option, he would be able to leave the Milwaukee Bucks and become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2027, immediately after the conclusion of the 2026-27 NBA season. His current contract guarantees him two more years, covering the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons, with a player option for the 2027-28 season—which he can choose whether or not to accept. If he opts out, the earliest possible departure is July 2027. What is most likely? At the end of this (failed again) Bucks’ season, they try to trade him for as much talent and draft capital they can. Giannis has no choice. But at the end of that second season he returns to Greece.
While Giannis Antetokounmpo has indeed struggled with consistent playoff success, with six first-round exits in his ten playoff appearances (60% first-round exit rate) , a few more top 100 NBA players of all time have actually had worse or comparable playoff failures relative to their talent and expectations.
Karl Malone holds the unfortunate record for most playoff games (193) without winning a championship. Despite being a two-time MVP and reaching two Finals, he suffered multiple devastating losses:
Barkley had a worse playoff series record than Giannis, going 12-13 in playoff series throughout his career :
Nash never reached an NBA Finals despite his elite regular season success :cbc+1
Miller’s playoff record was remarkably similar to current Giannis :
Despite being the centerpiece of multiple strong Knicks teams, Ewing never won a championship :
Paul has had numerous devastating playoff collapses :
Despite regular season excellence, Harden has underperformed in crucial playoff moments :
Giannis’s recent struggles three consecutive first-round exits from 2023-2025 are concerning. But while Giannis’s six first-round exits in ten appearances represent genuine playoff struggles, at least 5-7 other top 100 players had worse or comparable playoff failures relative to their talent and expectations. Players like Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Steve Nash, Reggie Miller, and Patrick Ewing all had more devastating playoff careers when accounting for their lack of championships and multiple crushing defeats.
Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t inherently “bad” in the playoffs—he still puts up impressive individual numbers—but he faces specific, exploitable weaknesses that championship-level teams have learned to target systematically. His playoff struggles stem from a combination of technical limitations, strategic vulnerabilities, and psychological factors that become magnified under postseason pressure.
Giannis’s most glaring weakness is his free throw shooting, which deteriorates significantly in the playoffs :
His excessively long free throw routine (15-20 seconds per shot) creates mental pressure and allows fans to affect his concentration. The routine lacks fluidity and doesn’t mirror his actual shooting motion, making it essentially “not a basketball act”.
Since 2019, teams have deployed a devastating defensive scheme called “The Wall” that has consistently neutralized his dominance :
How it works:
Historical success against Giannis:
Teams actively encourage Giannis to shoot three-pointers, knowing it plays away from his strengths :
Giannis struggles with decision-making when facing intense playoff pressure :
Unlike other superstars, Giannis requires exceptional supporting cast performance to succeed :
An underrated weakness that affects team offense :
Playoff teams have extensive time to study and prepare specific schemes :
Playoff defenses are more disciplined and committed to executing complex schemes :
High-stakes situations expose his technical limitations :
Giannis’s 2021 championship run succeeded because of unique circumstances :
Giannis isn’t “bad” in the playoffs—he’s a victim of solvable basketball problems that he hasn’t adequately addressed. His combination of free throw struggles, three-point shooting deficiencies, and vulnerability to sophisticated defensive schemes creates a blueprint that disciplined playoff teams can exploit. Unlike transcendent playoff performers who elevate their games under pressure, Giannis’s technical limitations become more pronounced when facing elite, prepared defenses with months to gameplan specifically for his weaknesses.
In the whirlwind world of the NBA, where superstars chase championships and global endorsements, few stories tug at the heartstrings quite like Giannis Antetokounmpo’s. The man they call the Greek Freak—born in Athens to Nigerian immigrant parents, risen from street-hustling kid to two-time MVP and NBA champion—has always worn his roots on his sleeve. But today, a new chapter unfolds that’s less about highlight reels and more about family foundations: Giannis’ wife, Mariah Riddlesprigger, and their four young children have officially settled permanently in Athens, Greece. Their sons have even started kindergarten at the prestigious Athens College, marking a bold pivot toward the homeland that shaped him.
This isn’t just a seasonal relocation; it’s a seismic shift for a family that’s called Milwaukee home since Giannis was drafted in 2013. As the Bucks gear up for another title run, Giannis faces his first NBA season separated from his loved ones. What does this mean for the 30-year-old phenom? Could it fuel his fire on the court, or add an emotional weight to his already Herculean load? Or is he preparing for a return to Greece soon?
## A Family Forged in Adversity: Giannis’ Journey from Sepolia Streets to NBA Stardom
To understand the significance of this move, we need to rewind to Giannis’ origins. Born Giannis Sina Ugo Antetokounmpo on December 6, 1994, in Athens’ gritty Sepolia neighborhood, he grew up stateless for years—his parents, Charles and Veronica, had fled Nigeria in the early 1990s seeking better opportunities, only to face poverty and discrimination in Greece. The family scraped by selling watches and handbags on the streets, with young Giannis and his brothers (Thanasis, Kostas, and Alex) pitching in to keep food on the table.
Basketball became their escape. Scouted by local coach Spiros Velliniatis at age 13, Giannis’ raw athleticism— that impossible blend of 6’11” frame, speed, and power—propelled him from Filathlitikos’ youth teams to the NBA in a meteoric rise. By 2013, he was in Milwaukee, dragging his family across the Atlantic for a shot at the American Dream. Today, three of the four brothers play professionally in the NBA, and their AntetokounBros Academy in Athens offers free training to underprivileged kids, echoing the support they once received.
Enter Mariah Riddlesprigger, a philanthropist and former college volleyball star whom Giannis met in Milwaukee. The couple, who married in a lavish summer 2024 ceremony after welcoming three children, have built a life centered on quiet joys amid the spotlight. Their kids—Liam Charles (born February 10, 2020), Maverick Shai (August 18, 2021), Eva Brooke (September 14, 2023), and the newest addition, Aria Capri (born around June 2025)—represent the next generation of Antetokounmpos. Rarely seen in public, they’ve been fixtures at Bucks games and family milestones, like the 2022 premiere of Disney+’s *Rise*, the film chronicling their immigrant saga.
Giannis has always been vocal about fatherhood’s pull. In interviews, he’s said he’d retire on the spot if Liam asked for more playtime, underscoring how family anchors his relentless drive. Now, with the kids’ early years in flux, the pull of Greece feels inevitable.
## The Move: From Milwaukee Winters to Athenian Sunsets
Whispers of a Greek return have swirled for years—Giannis bought a sprawling, futuristic apartment complex in the upscale Paleo Psychiko suburb of Athens back in 2023 for an estimated €10 million ($11 million), complete with units for his mother and brothers. But this summer, it became reality. As of September 2025, Mariah and the four children have made the transatlantic leap permanent, trading Milwaukee’s chilly, humid climate (where even July highs rarely top 26°C/79°F) for Athens’ Mediterranean warmth.
The kids’ integration is already underway. Five-year-old Liam and four-year-old Maverick kicked off the school year at Athens College, one of Greece’s most elite institutions, known for its rigorous bilingual curriculum and alumni like shipping magnates and politicians. It’s no accident; Giannis, ever the planner, chose it to give his sons “only the best” from their formative years. Two-year-old Eva and four-month-old Aria are settling into the family rhythm, with the household buzzing in a quiet neighborhood where passersby remain blissfully unaware of their famous residents.
This isn’t a trial run. Sources close to the family confirm it’s a multi-year commitment, with Giannis commuting between continents during the offseason and, presumably, holidays. The Bucks star returned to Milwaukee practice just days ago, but the separation marks uncharted territory for a man who’s thrived on stability.
## Why Now? Roots, Climate, and a Vision for the Future
So, what sparked this bold step? It’s a cocktail of personal, cultural, and practical factors. Foremost: Mariah’s preference. When Giannis polled her on Milwaukee versus Athens, she chose the Greek capital without hesitation, citing the vibrant community, milder weather, and cultural richness. “Greece suits us better,” insiders note, a sentiment echoed in Giannis’ own long-held dreams of returning home.
Giannis has been candid about his love for Athens. In a July 2025 interview, he declared, “I’m definitely thinking of coming to Greece permanently when I retire… Athens is my home.” His tears after captaining Greece to a bronze at EuroBasket 2025—the country’s first medal since 2009—spoke volumes about his emotional tether. The move aligns with his vision: exposing his kids to their heritage, fluent Greek lessons, and summers on sun-drenched islands, all while nurturing the AntetokounBros legacy through local philanthropy.
Practically, it’s savvy. With business ventures blooming in Greece (from real estate to the family’s academy), and rumors of a post-NBA stint with Filathlitikos—the club that launched him—rooting the family there streamlines logistics. Unlike LeBron James, whom he admires, Giannis has hinted he’s not chasing a 40-year-old career; he wants to peak now and pivot sooner, perhaps ending his playing days in the Hellenic League.
## The Ripple Effects: Emotional Turbulence, On-Court Fuel, and Long-Term Legacy
No sugarcoating it: this separation could test Giannis like never before. For the first time, he’ll lace up for Bucks games without his family’s courtside cheers or post-practice cuddles. “It will not be easy,” those in his circle admit, especially with a newborn at home. The 8-hour time difference and grueling travel—private jets notwithstanding—could amplify the isolation of NBA life, potentially stirring anxiety or homesickness. We’ve seen stars like Kevin Durant grapple with similar family strains; for Giannis, whose identity is so intertwined with family, it might manifest as restless energy or, worse, distraction.
Yet, there’s profound upside. Psychologically, knowing his kids are immersed in their cultural bedrock could lighten his load, freeing mental bandwidth for the court. Imagine the motivation: every dunk a dedication to providing that “best” education, every assist a step toward a post-retirement life unmarred by regret. History shows fatherhood sharpens focus—post-Liam’s birth, Giannis averaged 29.5 points in the 2020-21 championship run. This move might supercharge that, turning transatlantic longing into unbreakable resolve.
On the family front, it’s a win for stability. Milwaukee’s transient NBA scene pales against Athens’ extended-family vibe, where Veronica can dote on grandkids and the brothers collaborate on ventures. For the children, it’s a bilingual, multicultural upbringing—Greek summers, American holidays—that mirrors Giannis’ own hybrid identity, fostering resilience they’ll need in a global world.
Career-wise, it signals maturity. At 30, with a supermax extension through 2028, Giannis is eyeing legacy beyond rings. Settling his family in Greece positions him as a bridge-builder: the immigrant kid who returns to uplift, not just extract. It could extend his prime by reducing burnout, and if whispers of an Athens NBA expansion hold water, who knows? The Greek Freak might one day headline a Euro league.
Of course, risks linger. If the Bucks falter or injuries mount (recall his 2023 knee scare), the pull of home might accelerate retirement talks. And logistically? Balancing Daddy duty with 82 games demands ninja-level scheduling.
## Closing the Circle: A Freakish Return to Roots
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s family move to Athens isn’t an ending—it’s a homecoming that closes the circle on a life story scripted in struggle and stardom. From Sepolia’s shadows to Milwaukee’s spotlight, he’s always chased wholeness: for himself, his brothers, his parents, and now his children. This decision, though laced with sacrifice, underscores his core value—family above all.
As the season tips off, watch for that extra gear in Giannis’ game. It might just be the fuel to chase another ring, knowing his little freaks are thriving where it all began. In a league of mercenaries, the Greek Freak remains gloriously grounded. And in doing so, he reminds us: true greatness isn’t measured in trophies alone, but in the homes we build across oceans.
Personally I think it will be a convenient excuse. When he fails again this year to achieve anything in the post season he will use his family as an excuse to justify playing in Europe with a Greek team. And all he has said over the years about loyalty to the Bucks and the place that has been home all these years will go out the window…
*Sources: Proto Thema English, New Greek TV, People Magazine, Greek Reporter, Hellenic Daily News.*
Giannis Antetokounmpo ranks among the worst in NBA history or current seasons in several key areas, despite his superstar status and multiple accolades. Here are the most significant statistical weaknesses in his game:
Free Throw Shooting Crisis
Giannis’s free throw shooting represents one of the most glaring weaknesses for any superstar player. His career average of 71.7% is concerning for someone who gets to the line frequently, but his 2020-21 season was historically poor at just 57.5%. During one game against Dallas, he went an abysmal 1-for-10 from the free throw line, joining an exclusive group of only four players in NBA history to shoot below 10% on 10+ attempts in a single game.
Three-Point Shooting Regression
Perhaps most troubling is Giannis’ unprecedented four-year consecutive decline in three-point percentage from 2019-2023. In 2018, he posted the worst three-point percentage (10.7% on 56 attempts) among all NBA players with at least 50 attempts, finishing dead last in the league. His current 2024-25 season shows minimal improvement at just 19% on 0.8 attempts per game. He is closer to the worse NBA season ever in this category!
Mid-Range Shooting Disaster
In the paint outside the restricted area, Giannis shot an abysmal 27.9% on 197 attempts during one analyzed season, ranking 62nd out of 62 qualified players – literally the worst among all players with similar volume. This represents a massive weakness in his offensive arsenal.
Turnover Problems
Giannis consistently ranks among the league leaders in turnovers, averaging 3.7 per game during his peak seasons. This is exceptionally high for a non-point guard and reflects poor ball security relative to his usage rate. His turnover rate is particularly concerning on drives, where he frequently loses control of the basketball.
Ball Security Issues
Despite being a primary ball handler, Giannis exhibits poor ball security when attacking the rim. His high turnover rate on drives stems from inadequate ball handling fundamentals and decision-making under pressure.
Free Throw Routine Violations
Giannis has been called for multiple 10-second violations during playoff games and regularly exceeds the time limit. His free throw routine is the longest in the NBA, with opponents and crowds regularly counting to 12+ seconds before he releases the ball. The NBA’s Last Two Minute Reports have documented numerous instances where he should have been called for violations but wasn’t.
Travel Violations
Video analysis reveals that Giannis commits multiple traveling violations per game that go uncalled due to superstar treatment. Official NBA referee training videos have used Giannis as an example of traveling violations, yet these infractions are rarely penalized during games.
Offensive Fouls and Charges
Giannis frequently commits offensive fouls and charges that go uncalled, benefiting from inconsistent officiating. He’s among the leaders in uncalled charging fouls, often bulldozing through defenders without consequence.
Late-Game Efficiency
Despite his overall excellence, Giannis has shown declining efficiency in clutch situations. The Milwaukee Bucks have had some of the worst clutch-time offensive ratings in recent seasons, partly due to Giannis’s struggles in crucial moments.
Fourth Quarter Performance
Analysis shows that Giannis’s fourth-quarter efficiency often drops compared to earlier quarters, with his decision-making and shot selection becoming more questionable in pressure situations.
Lack of Skill Development
Most concerning is Giannis’s minimal improvement in key areas despite years of practice. His three-point shooting improvement rate is among the worst for any superstar player, showing little meaningful progress over multiple seasons despite significant investment in shooting coaches and practice time.
Unprecedented Regression
For a player of Giannis’s caliber and MVP status, having four consecutive years of three-point percentage decline is virtually unprecedented in NBA history. Most elite players show improvement or at least maintain their shooting percentages over time.
The comprehensive data reveals that while Giannis excels in some things in easier games and in the regular season, he ranks among the NBA’s worst performers in several crucial skills. These weaknesses become more pronounced in playoff situations where teams can exploit his limitations through strategic fouling and defensive schemes that force him into uncomfortable shooting situations.
With Russell Westbrook still sitting on the free-agent market after declining his player option with the Denver Nuggets, ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins floated the idea that Milwaukee should swoop in and sign the 37-year-old veteran. On paper, it sounds intriguing: a win-now team desperate for backcourt stability after cutting ties with Damian Lillard, pairing Westbrook’s explosive energy with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s dominance. But let’s pump the brakes. This isn’t just a questionable fit—it’s a recipe for regression that could derail the Bucks’ championship aspirations. It’s uglier than a mid-range brick in overtime.
Westbrook’s résumé is legendary—NBA MVP, nine-time All-Star, all-time leader in triple-doubles. But at 37, his game has devolved into a highlight-reel sideshow with diminishing returns. In his final season with Denver (2024-25), he posted 13.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds across 75 games—solid bench numbers, sure. He still brings that manic energy, pushing the pace and crashing the glass like it’s 2017.
The cracks, however, are canyon-sized. His field-goal percentage hovered around 44.9%, and his three-point shooting? A woeful 31.4% on low volume (just 2.1 attempts per game). That’s not “broken jumper” territory; that’s “defences dare you to shoot” territory. Add in his league-leading turnover rate among high-minute guards (3.2 per 36 minutes) and a defensive rating that drags units underwater, and you’ve got a player whose plus/minus has been negative for five straight seasons.
Westbrook’s style—ball-dominant, paint-attacking, reluctant passer in crunch time—worked in limited roles with the Clippers and Nuggets, where he came off the bench. But starting him? That’s where the wheels fall off. He logged a usage rate north of 25% last year, jacking up contested twos and forcing the issue when smarter reads were available. For a Bucks team already questioning its backcourt rhythm, injecting Westbrook’s chaos would amplify the noise, not harmonize it.
Let’s game this out. Imagine Porter Jr. (or whoever starts) sharing the floor with Westbrook in a two-PG lineup. Both are undersized (Porter at 6’4″, Westbrook at 6’3″), both love to handle, and neither shoots well enough from deep to punish switches. Result? A backcourt traffic jam that funnels everything into the mid-range—precisely what killed Milwaukee’s spacing last year. Giannis would feast on lobs and cuts, but Portis’ spot-up game gets neutralized, and others off-ball movement turns into a crawl.
Offensively, Westbrook’s inefficiency would compound the Bucks’ issues. His true shooting percentage sat at 50.2% last season—below league average for guards—and he’d be chucking in high-leverage spots. Defensively? Forget it. Westbrook’s lateral quickness has eroded with age; opponents targeted him relentlessly in Denver, leading to a -4.1 net rating in his minutes. Pair that with Porter’s own defensive lapses, and Milwaukee’s perimeter D—already middling—becomes a sieve. The Eastern Conference is loaded with sharpshooters like Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Haliburton, and Trae Young; Westbrook’s gambling for steals would leave Giannis in iso hell on the other end.
Even in a bench role, it’s a mismatch. The Bucks need a microwave scorer or a true combo guard to spell Porter, not a volume creator who hogs touches from a second unit featuring Portis and Trent. As Brew Hoop astutely noted, “Milwaukee would be wise to pass” because Westbrook’s skill set doesn’t align with Doc Rivers’ preference for structured, ball-movement offenses. Rivers thrived with balanced units in Boston and Philly; Westbrook’s heliocentric approach would feel like a step backward.
The Greek Freak has chinks in his armour—flaws that have been dissected ad nauseam, from his inconsistent free-throw shooting (hovering around 71% career, with dips in high-pressure moments) to his limited outside game (a career 28.9% from three, forcing defences to pack the paint). Add in occasional half-court stagnation, where his ball-handling can lead to turnovers if lanes aren’t open, and play making lapses under duress, and you’ve got vulnerabilities that savvy teams exploit in the playoffs. Now, imagine pairing him with Russell Westbrook, a guard whose declining skill set would turn these weaknesses into glaring liabilities, potentially derailing Milwaukee’s offence and exhausting their star.
At the core of the mismatch is spacing—or the lack thereof. Giannis thrives when the floor is stretched, allowing him to euro-step through open driving lanes without meeting a wall of defenders. Westbrook, however, is a non-shooter from deep, converting just 31.4% on minimal attempts last season, which invites opponents to sag off him and dare the brick. This defensive strategy would clog the paint even more than usual, forcing Giannis into contested drives or pull-up jumpers—shots he’s notoriously inefficient at. We’ve seen this movie before: In the 2025 playoffs, without Damian Lillard’s gravity pulling defenders out, Giannis’ efficiency dipped in half-court sets, with turnovers spiking as he tried to force plays. Westbrook’s presence would exacerbate this, turning Giannis’ drives into a mosh pit and highlighting his reluctance (or inability) to punish from outside. Defenses could essentially play 5-on-4 in the lane, neutralizing Giannis’ greatest strength and pushing him toward more free throws—where his mental blocks and mechanical issues often rear their head, as evidenced by his sub-60% FT% in key 2025 EuroBasket games.
Defensively, the ripple effects would be just as damaging. Westbrook’s eroded lateral quickness and gambling tendencies have made him a target for opponents, often resulting in blow-bys and open looks that require help-side rotations. Giannis, already Milwaukee’s defensive anchor as a roaming rim protector, would be forced to cover more ground, cleaning up Westbrook’s messes while expending extra energy. This added workload could accelerate fatigue for the 30-year-old superstar, who’s shown signs of wear in recent seasons, and amplify his occasional lapses in perimeter containment—another subtle weakness when he’s stretched thin. Moreover, Westbrook’s ball-dominant style and high turnover rate (3.2 per 36 minutes) would disrupt rhythm, potentially reducing Giannis’ touches in favourable spots and forcing him into more isolation creation, where his playmaking vision isn’t elite. In a post-Lillard Bucks backcourt already lacking facilitators, this chaos would spotlight Giannis’ half-court limitations, turning him from a dominant force into a frustrated one-man army.
Beyond the tape, there’s the intangibles. Westbrook is a warrior—fiercely competitive and vocal—but his intensity has rubbed teammates the wrong way. Remember his Lakers tenure? What started as a “Big Three” experiment devolved into finger-pointing and a first-round exit. Perkins himself admitted to warning Westbrook about his “cancerous” behaviour back then, a comment that ended their friendship. In Denver, he was a positive vet, but that was as a reserve. Thrust him into a starting role on a pressure-cooker team like Milwaukee, and the alpha clashes could erupt—especially with a young, unproven Porter Jr. needing guidance, not competition.
The Bucks can’t afford distractions. With a win-now core entering its mid-30s window, they need cohesion, not controversy.
Russell Westbrook deserves a ring and a graceful fade-out on a contender’s bench. But the Bucks? They’re not that team—not with their spacing starvation, defensive vulnerabilities, and need for harmony. Pairing him with this roster wouldn’t unlock potential; it’d expose flaws. As Reddit’s NBA hive mind put it, Westbrook’s playstyle “only works on one team in the league,” and Milwaukee ain’t it. Doc Rivers and Jon Horst have built a contender; don’t let nostalgia torch it.
Fans and analysts alike rave about his ability to turn misses into dunks, grabbing a rebound and barreling down the court for easy buckets. It’s the stuff of legends—YouTube compilations with millions of views, “unstoppable” chants on social media, and endless debates about whether he’s the best fast-break player ever. But let’s pump the brakes. While Giannis is a transition monster in the cushy confines of the regular season—where defences jog back and space is plentiful—the data tells a different story when the lights get brighter. In the playoffs, against elite schemes designed to clog the lane, his transition game crumbles under pressure. High turnover rates, plummeting efficiency, and a reliance on “easier” opportunities reveal a player who’s great at exploiting mismatches in blowouts but struggles to deliver when it counts.
In this deep dive, we’ll break down the key transition metrics: Points Per Possession (PPP), Frequency of Transition Opportunities, effective Field Goal Percentage (eFG%), True Shooting Percentage (TS%), Turnover Rate (TOV%), Assists per Possession, On/Off Plus-Minus, Box Score Impact, and Offensive Rating (ORTG). Using data from the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons (regular and playoffs where available), we’ll show how Giannis’s transition dominance is a regular-season mirage. Spoiler: It’s not as freakish as you think.
In the 82-game grind, Giannis thrives in transition. The Bucks ranked top-5 in transition frequency league-wide in 2023-24, and Giannis was the engine, leading the NBA in transition points per game at 7.5 while tying for the most opportunities at 6.1 per game. His PPP? A blistering 1.42—well above the league average of ~1.15 for transition plays. That’s elite territory, turning fast breaks into automatic offence. For sure in the regular season most serious players – with their mind on the playoffs – don’t want to stand in front of him.
But dig deeper, and even here, cracks show. His eFG% in transition hovered around 78.6% in 2023-24, absurdly high thanks to dunks and layups, but his TS% dipped below 80% when factoring in occasional misses or fouls. Turnover rate? A manageable 12-15%, but it spikes when defences load up. Assists per possession are low (0.25-0.30), meaning he’s mostly iso-dribbling to the rim rather than creating for others—great for highlights, less so for sustainable team play.
Here’s a snapshot of Giannis’s 2023-24 regular-season transition stats compared to league leaders (via NBA.com and Synergy data):
| Metric | Giannis (2023-24 Reg) | League Avg (Transition) | Top Player (e.g., Ja Morant) |
|---|---|---|---|
| PPP | 1.42 | 1.15 | 1.48 |
| Frequency (%) | 18.2% (Bucks’ possessions) | 14.5% | 20.1% |
| eFG% | 78.6% | 65.0% | 82.0% |
| TS% | 79.2% | 68.5% | 83.5% |
| TOV% | 13.8% | 12.0% | 10.2% |
| AST per Poss | 0.28 | 0.22 | 0.35 |
| ORTG | 128.5 | 115.0 | 132.0 |
Sources: NBA.com Stats, GiveMeSport analysis
On/Off plus-minus tells the tale: Bucks outscored opponents by +12.5 per 100 possessions in transition with Giannis on the floor, but only +8.2 when off—still good, but the drop-off highlights his outsized role (and risk). Box score impact? He accounts for ~35% of Milwaukee’s transition points, but the team’s overall transition ORTG falls to 122 when he forces contested drives.
This works against tired, rotating defences in mid-January matinees. But playoffs? That’s where the “easier games” vanish.
Enter the postseason, where coaches scheme to deny space. Teams like the Heat (2023) and Pacers (2024) dare Giannis to pass, pack the paint, and force him into traffic. The result? His transition game regresses hard. In 2023 (vs. Miami and Boston), Giannis’s transition PPP dropped to 1.18—below league playoff average—and his frequency plummeted as the Bucks’ break opportunities dried up to 12.5% of possessions.
Turnovers are the killer. Giannis’s playoff TOV% in transition balloons to 18-20%, nearly double his regular-season mark. Remember Game 4 vs. the Heat in 2023? 6 transition turnovers alone, leading to 12 Miami fast-break points. Career playoff high: 8 TOs in a single game (2019 ECF vs. Toronto). He ranks in the top 25 for playoff TOV per game historically, a damning stat for a “freak” who should glide past defenders.
Efficiency tanks too. eFG% falls to ~65%, TS% to 62-65%—playoff-average at best. Why? No space means more contested finishes, fewer and-ones. Assists per possession? A measly 0.18, as he refuses to kick out under duress. In 2021 Finals vs. Phoenix, his transition ORTG was a pedestrian 112, with Bucks outscored by 15 in break points during his minutes.
Compare 2023 playoffs to regular season:
| Metric | Giannis (2023 Reg) | Giannis (2023 Playoffs) | League Playoff Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| PPP | 1.42 | 1.18 | 1.12 |
| Frequency (%) | 18.2% | 12.8% | 13.5% |
| eFG% | 78.6% | 65.2% | 64.0% |
| TS% | 79.2% | 63.8% | 66.5% |
| TOV% | 13.8% | 19.2% | 14.0% |
| AST per Poss | 0.28 | 0.18 | 0.24 |
| ORTG | 128.5 | 112.0 | 114.5 |
Sources: Basketball-Reference, Reddit NBA analysis
And when looking at these stats remember that Giannis has had 3 first round exits! His statistics reflect only one series with an easier opponent, not multiple games getting gradually harder as other players’ stats do.
On/Off plus-minus flips negative: -4.2 per 100 in transition during playoff minutes, per Cleaning the Glass data. Box score impact? He generates just 22% of Bucks’ transition points in playoffs (down from 35%), and the team’s transition ORTG craters to 105—bottom-quartile. In 2024, Giannis missed the entire first-round loss to Indiana due to calf strain, but even without him, Milwaukee’s transition scoring fell 25% from regular-season norms, underscoring his “irreplaceable” role… until defences adapt.
The pattern is clear: Giannis feasts on transition against bottom-10 defences (e.g., 2023-24 vs. Wizards, Pistons: 1.55 PPP, 5% TOV%). But against top-5 units like Boston or Miami? PPP dips under 1.20, TOV% over 20%. In “easier” regular-season games (Bucks win by 15+), his transition eFG% hits 82%; in close losses, it’s 58%.
This isn’t elite adaptability—it’s opportunism. Playoff teams eliminate those “spaces” with disciplined shell defence, forcing Giannis into half-court hero ball where his ORTG drops 10-15 points. His On/Off in high-leverage playoff minutes? -8.5 transition plus-minus, per RAPM estimates. Box score? Fewer transition FGM (down 30%), more TOs feeding opponent runs.
Giannis in transition is a regular-season weapon, padding stats in open floors against over matched foes that are protecting their best players for the playoffs. But when it counts—playoffs, close games, elite defences—the metrics expose him: subpar PPP, leaky TOV%, middling efficiency, and negative impact. He’s not “bad” outright, but far from the unstoppable force narrative. To win titles, Milwaukee needs him to evolve: better passing in traffic, mid-range threats to open lanes (he’s working on it), or a system beyond “feed the Freak.”
The data doesn’t lie. Next time you see a transition dunk, ask: Would that fly in May? Probably not.
Data compiled from NBA.com, Basketball-Reference, Cleaning the Glass, and The Athletic. All stats per 100 possessions unless noted.
In NBA analytics, some stats cut through the hype and reveal uncomfortable truths. The “BEAST ON THE BOARDS” chart illustrates how star big men’s presence impacts their team’s rebound percentages. Players like Steven Adams (+19.1 OREB%, +18.5 TREB%) and Nikola Jokic (+3.1, +6.2) boost their squads, living up to their reputations as rebounding forces. But then there’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, with negative differentials: -3.1 OREB% and -0.2 TREB%. This isn’t a glitch—it’s a pattern that questions the “Greek Freak’s” true impact.
Giannis posts gaudy individual numbers, averaging double-digit rebounds most seasons, but the team’s rebounding suffers when he’s on the floor. Why? It’s not just about team dynamics; it’s tied to Giannis’ evolving priorities, defensive shortcomings, and a focus on personal stats over team success. Since his 2019-20 Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award, his defence has declined, he’s emphasised offence, chased highlights, and padded rebounds—often at the expense of cohesive play. Let’s break it down with data and context.
Before we dissect Giannis’ case, let’s clarify the stat. Rebound percentage measures the share of available rebounds a team (or player) secures while on the court. It’s more insightful than raw rebounds because it accounts for pace and opportunities—after all, a fast-paced game might have more misses, but the percentage normalizes that.
The “on-off differential” compares the team’s performance in these metrics when a player is on the court versus off. A positive number means the team rebounds better with the player playing; a negative means they rebound better without them.
Data from sites like Cleaning the Glass shows this isn’t a one-off fluke for Giannis. In the 2021-22 season (which aligns closely with the chart’s numbers, showing -2.8 OREB% on-off), and other years like 2018-19 (-1.2%) and 2020-21 (-1.9%), Giannis posted negative differentials. Yet, in more recent seasons like 2023-24 (+2.6 OREB%) and 2024-25 (+1.8%), it’s flipped positive. So, what’s going on?
Giannis ranks among the league’s top rebounders, but scrutiny reveals issues:
| Season | Rebounds Per Game (RPG) | Total Rebound % (TRB%) | Defensive Rating (DRtg) | Defensive BPM (DBPM) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 13.6 | 21.4% | 97 | 4.1 |
| 2020-21 | 11.0 | 18.5% | 107 | 2.8 |
| 2021-22 | 11.6 | 19.2% | 106 | 3.5 |
| 2022-23 | 11.8 | 19.8% | 108 | 2.7 |
| 2023-24 | 11.5 | 18.8% | 112 | 2.4 |
| 2024-25 | 11.9 | 19.5% | 109 | 2.5 |
(Source: Basketball-Reference)
His RPG and TRB% are solid, but notice the defensive metrics. Post-DPOY (where he posted a league-best 97 DRtg), his DRtg has worsened to 107-112, indicating more points allowed per 100 possessions. DBPM, measuring defensive impact, dropped from 4.1 to as low as 2.4. This decline correlates with negative rebound diffs, as poor defence leads to more opponent makes—and fewer rebound chances.
Giannis won DPOY in 2019-20 as a versatile defender, using his 7-foot wingspan for help defence and rim protection. But since then, his effort has waned. Analysts note he’s prioritised offence over grinding on D. Bucks’ schemes rely on him as a free safety, but he often chases “highlight reel” plays—spectacular blocks or steals—instead of sticking to plans.
This individualism disrupts team rebounding. Teammates “clear out” on misses, letting Giannis grab easy defensive boards to pad stats, rather than contesting collectively. A notorious 2023 incident saw him intentionally miss a shot for his own rebound to secure a triple-double, later rescinded by the NBA amid “stat-padding” backlash. Fans and media called it “shameless,” highlighting a pattern where personal milestones trump team efficiency.
Giannis’ late start in basketball—he didn’t play organised ball until age 13 in Greece—shows in his reflexes and scheme comprehension. Unlike peers who honed instincts young, he struggles with complex switches in modern pick-and-roll defences. He’s not fast enough laterally to guard perimeter threats, often getting blown by or mispositioned. This leads to breakdowns: Opponents exploit gaps, leading to more makes and fewer Bucks rebounds.
In high-pace lineups with Giannis, the team leaks out for transitions, but his defensive lapses mean more opponent scores—reducing OREB% opportunities. Bench units, without him, play more structured, grabbing boards at higher rates. Social media discussions echo this: “Giannis was only ever a helpside defender… not much of a rim protector.” His blocks (around 1-1.5/game post-DPOY) are flashy but don’t anchor like Gobert’s.
Sure, roster changes matter—Brook Lopez’s injuries forced adjustments, and backups like Bobby Portis (16.5% TRB% in 2021-22) feast in non-Giannis minutes. But this masks Giannis’ issues. He faces starters, but his declining DBPM suggests he’s not elevating the unit. Bucks’ overall TREB% (50-52%) is average, but negatives persist because Giannis’ style—offence-first, stat-chasing—trades team rebounding for personal glory.
He’s in his prime physically but coasting defensively.
Giannis’ negative on-off rebound diffs aren’t a paradox—they’re a symptom of prioritising offence, highlights, and stats over defence and team play. His late basketball start hampers reflexes in schemes, and rebound “padding” inflates numbers while hurting the Bucks. Milwaukee won in 2021 despite this, but as defences evolve, Giannis must recommit defensively. In 2025-26, under Doc Rivers, watch if he adapts—or if the illusion crumbles further.
The basketball world was buzzing after the EuroBasket 2025 semifinals on September 12, when Turkey pulled off a stunning upset, defeating Greece 82-74 to advance to the finals for the first time in 24 years. At the centre of the drama? None other than Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two-time MVP and perennial NBA Defensive Player of the Year candidate, who was held to a shocking 12 points on 6-of-13 shooting. For a player who is presented as unguardable throughout his career—averaging over 25 points per game in the tournament up to that point—this was a defensive clinic that exposed vulnerabilities in the Greek Freak’s game.
Turkey, under coach Ergin Ataman, didn’t just defend Giannis; they dissected him with a blend of physicality, teamwork, and tactical precision. This wasn’t a fluke—it was a blueprint that echoes strategies we’ve seen (and debated) in the NBA for years. Three years of early playoff exits, three years of losing even in the regular season against teams that care enough to defend him like this.
Greece entered the semifinal as favourites, largely on Giannis’s reputation. By sheer luck of the bracket however Greece had not faced any serious opponents. Giannis skillfully avoid playing against Nurkic because he knew what would happen. (They lost anyway, Giannis avoided looking foolish though.) The recipe is simple:
Turkey’s first line of attack was simple but ruthless: make it hard for Greece to get the ball to Giannis. Guards Sehmus Hazer and Shane Larkin (yes, the ex-Celtics sharpshooter now starring for Anadolu Efes) hounded the inbounders and ball-handlers, using quick hands and relentless pressure to force 12 turnovers in the first half alone. Cedi Osman, the NBA veteran forward, chipped in by switching onto Giannis in open court, denying easy touches and forcing him to receive the ball further from the rim than he prefers.
This tactic preyed on one of Giannis’s subtler weaknesses: his ball-handling under duress. At 6’11” with a long stride, he’s a transition monster, but Turkey’s transition defence was lockdown—limiting fast breaks and keeping Greece in a half-court grind. As Alperen Sengun later noted in a post-game interview, “We knew if we let him bring the ball up freely, it was over. So we trapped early and often.”
Enter Ercan Osmani, Turkey’s 6’10” power forward and the unsung hero of the night. Osmani drew the primary assignment, bodying Giannis in the post and contesting every move with physicality that matched the Freak’s ferocity. But this wasn’t hero-ball defence; it was a relay. Whenever Giannis put the ball on the floor inside the three-point line, the paint collapsed. Sengun, the Houston Rockets’ rising star centre, rotated over as the “wall,” swatting at drives and contesting lobs without leaving his man exposed.
Shane Larkin summed it up perfectly in a post-game breakdown: “The plan was to collapse whenever he raised that ball to drive. Force the kick-out, then rotate hard on the perimeter. We accepted threes from their guards—guys like [Thomas] Walkup aren’t lights-out shooters.” This “shrink the floor” approach turned Giannis into a passer and like Sengun had said before the game “Giannis is not a great passer.”
When Giannis did touch the ball in his sweet spot—the low block or mid-post—Turkey flipped the script to a hybrid zone. Double-teams (often Osman and Sengun) quickly escalated to triples, with a third defender (frequently Osman circling back or Hazer digging in) forming what one reporter called a “fortress wall.” Passing lanes were clogged, leading to strips and turnovers. Physicality was key: Turkey played with NBA-level bump-and-turn, wearing Giannis down over 35 minutes.
The result? Giannis, who thrives on momentum and space, looked frustrated—good for just 12 points, 12 rebounds, and those 5 assists. Turkey’s bench erupted after a key sequence in the third quarter where a triple-team forced a kick-out that sailed wide, sealing the momentum shift. It was defense as performance art: collective, adaptive, and unrelenting.
EuroBasket might play at a slower tempo than the NBA’s breakneck speed, but Turkey’s blueprint is straight out of the league’s defensive playbook. Giannis’s dominance—elite athleticism, length, and finishing—makes him a matchup nightmare, but he’s not invincible. His game relies on driving lanes, transition opportunities, and post-ups, all of which can be neutralized with smart team defense. Here’s why Turkey’s tactics aren’t just FIBA-specific:
Coined during the 2021 playoffs when the Heat and Nets tried (and sometimes succeeded) in slowing Giannis, “The Wall” involves funneling him baseline or middle with on-ball pressure, then crowding the paint with help defenders. Turkey executed this to perfection, much like the Miami Heat’s 2020 bubble run, where Bam Adebayo and a rotating cast of bigs forced Giannis into 5+ turnovers per game. In the NBA, where spacing is tighter due to better shooters, teams live with contested threes from role players (e.g., Bucks’ Pat Connaughton) rather than letting Giannis bulldoze to the rim.
The NBA’s 82-game grind amplifies Turkey’s physical approach. Giannis averages 34+ minutes per game; constant doubles wear him down, forcing passes that expose slower rotations. Data from the 2024-25 season shows Giannis’s efficiency dips 15% against teams that trap him 20%+ of possessions (per Second Spectrum tracking). Turkey’s zone hybrids mirror what the Warriors used in their March 2025 win over Milwaukee, where Draymond Green orchestrated rotations to limit Giannis to 18 points.
FIBA rules limit fast breaks slightly, but the principle holds: Deny outlet passes and force half-court sets. In the NBA, where Giannis scores 40% of his points in transition, teams like the Celtics use length (Tatum, Brown) to mirror this, dropping Milwaukee’s transition efficiency by 12 points per 100 possessions in recent matchups.
In short, Turkey’s win proves that with discipline, no star is untouchable—especially one whose jumper (still a work in progress at 29.5% from three in 2025) keeps defenses honest but not terrified. After all as I have explained at length and with much statistical proof, Giannis has no mid range when it matters.
Over Giannis’s decade in the league, only a select few have consistently turned him mortal. These aren’t just stat-line suppressors; they’re tacticians who force the Bucks to play “away” from their star. Here’s a rundown of the most effective, based on playoff and regular-season matchups (points per possession allowed under 1.00, per NBA Advanced Stats):
Bam’s the closest thing to a 1v1 kryptonite. In the 2020 and 2023 playoffs, he held Giannis to 22.4 PPG on 48% shooting, using his lateral quickness to stay in front and strength to absorb contact. Fun fact: Adebayo’s the only defender who’s outscored Giannis in head-to-head minutes while forcing 2.1 turnovers per game. Why it works? Bam funnels him without help, buying time for rotations.
Embiid’s size (7’0″, 280 lbs) and IQ make him a post-up nightmare. In 2023 Eastern Conference Semis, Philly’s scheme with Embiid as the anchor dropped Giannis to 19.8 PPG. He’s physical enough to bang without fouling and mobile enough to recover on drives—key against Giannis’s euro-steps.
Green’s not matching Giannis’s athleticism, but his brain is unmatched. In the Warriors’ 104-93 dismantling of the Bucks in March 2025, Draymond guarded him straight-up for 28 minutes, limiting him to 18 points on 7-18 shooting. It’s all about positioning: Green pressures full-court, funnels baseline, and communicates traps like a quarterback. Career vs. Giannis: Holds him under 1.05 PPP.
Three-time DPOY Gobert’s length (7’9″ wingspan) clogs lanes. In 2024 playoffs, Minnesota’s “Gobert Wall” (with Jaden McDaniels) restricted Giannis to 24 PPG on 52% eFG%. Rudy’s not quick enough for full games, but in drop coverage, he erases lobs and weak-side help.
Tucker’s the ultimate “annoyance” defender. During the 2019 Raptors run, he bodied Giannis into 22.3 PPG on inefficient shots. His low center of gravity and hand-fighting disrupted rhythm—perfect for half-court sets.
Honorable mentions: Al Horford (Celtics’ zone wizardry in 2022 ECF), Jayson Tatum (versatile switching), and OG Anunoby (Raptors’ length in isolation). Hell, even the much shorter Dillon Brooks last season wiped Giannis on his own!
Turkey’s EuroBasket triumph wasn’t just a win—it was a reminder that basketball’s a team sport, even against unicorns like Giannis. By disrupting flow, collapsing space, and embracing the grind, they turned a supernova into a shooting star. In the NBA, where schemes evolve daily, expect more coaches to dust off this playbook as the Bucks chase another ring.
What’s next for the Greek Freak? A sharper jumper? Better pick-and-roll vision? It doesn’t seem like he has added anything at all to his game all these years. More and more NBA players will just pull him apart like Turkey did. Bucks’ fans get confused because in easy games in the regular season most teams don’t bother. Why risk injury when so many times the officials don’t even give you the clear offensive foul Giannis commits? But when it counts? Three first round exits say “Giannis ain’t got it no more”.
Sources: FIBA EuroBasket recaps, Basketball Sphere analysis, JSONline game reports, NBA Advanced Stats, and Second Spectrum data.
If you’ve been scrolling through NBA offseason chatter, you’ve probably seen the glowing takes on the Milwaukee Bucks’ revamped frontcourt. With Giannis Antetokounmpo anchoring the middle, the addition of Myles Turner for elite rim protection, and Bobby Portis providing that spark-plug energy, some pundits are calling it a “wall of bigs” that could reshape the Eastern Conference. Doc Rivers now has a trio of towers that, in theory, dominate both ends of the floor. Portis himself hyped it up: “We can grow together. We can get better together. You can’t really find three better bigs together on any other team.” It’s a seductive narrative—the Bucks rising back to championship glory with sheer size and athleticism.
But hold up. As much as I love a good underdog story (or in this case, a powerhouse resurgence), this view strikes me as overly optimistic. It’s the kind of hot take that ignores the gritty realities of NBA basketball: chemistry, spacing, match ups, and the unforgiving nature of playoff hoops.
At the heart of the optimism is the idea that Giannis, Turner, and Portis form a versatile, energy-packed unit. Giannis, the two-time MVP and perennial All-NBA force, is the engine—driving, dunking, and defending like a freight train. Turner brings modern big-man skills: stretch-five potential with his three-point shooting (career 35% from deep) and top-tier shot-blocking (he’s led the league in blocks multiple times). Portis? He’s the ultimate sixth man, a fearless rebounder and scorer off the bench who averaged 13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds last season while shooting 40% from three.
Sounds perfect, right? Wrong. The real issue is fit. All three players operate primarily in the paint or as rollers in pick-and-rolls. Giannis thrives on drives to the rim, where he draws fouls and collapses defences but he can’t screen, let’s face it. Turner, despite his shooting, is best as a drop-coverage centre who protects the rim without much mobility to switch onto guards. Portis is a bulldog inside, excelling in hustle plays but lacking the foot speed for perimeter defence. When you stack them together, you’re essentially turning the paint into a traffic jam.
Imagine a possession: Giannis posts up, Turner sets a screen and rolls, and Portis crashes the boards. Defenses like the Boston Celtics or Philadelphia 76ers—teams loaded with switchable wings—will simply pack the lane and dare the Bucks to shoot from outside. Milwaukee’s offense already ranked mid-tier in three-point attempts last season (around 35 per game), and without reliable spacing from this frontcourt trio, Giannis’s efficiency could dip. He already shot his worse season ever for 3pt% last season. Hell worse in NBA history almost! Turner’s three-point volume is solid (about 3-4 attempts per game), but he’s not a volume bomber like Karl-Anthony Towns. Portis hits spot-up threes, but his attempts are sporadic and his percentages can be streaky.
In the playoffs, where spacing is king, this could be fatal. Remember how the Bucks struggled against the Heat in 2023? Jimmy Butler feasted by exploiting poor floor balance. A “wall of bigs” might sound imposing, but without perimeter threats to pull defenders away, it’s more like a sitting duck.
On paper, this trio screams defensive dominance. Giannis is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate with his length and instincts. Turner is a perennial blocks leader (1.5+ per game career average), providing the anchor Milwaukee lacked after trading away Jrue Holiday’s versatility. Portis adds rebounding grit, helping control the glass (the Bucks were top-10 in defensive rebounding last year).
But let’s pump the brakes. While they might stifle slashers and protect the rim, modern NBA offenses exploit bigs who can’t switch. Turner is a classic drop big—great at erasing shots at the hoop but vulnerable to pick-and-rolls where guards like Jalen Brunson or Tyrese Maxey can pull him out of position. Giannis can switch 1-4, but asking him to guard elite wings every night wears him down. Portis? He’s a liability on the perimeter; opponents targeted him in switches last season, and his 6’10” frame doesn’t translate to elite foot speed against quicker forwards.
The East is a minefield of versatile scorers: Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, Donovan Mitchell, and even Paolo Banchero. In a seven-game series, teams will hunt mismatches relentlessly. Doc Rivers’ defensive schemes have historically relied on communication and help defense, but integrating three bigs with overlapping roles could lead to breakdowns. And Giannis is not know for high IQ plays, adaptability or even managing to understand complex systems. It’s not just about blocks—it’s about containment. This “wall” might hold against lesser teams but crumble under sustained pressure from playoff juggernauts. Which is a very common Bucks’ theme. Everyone gets excited in the regular season but then when it matters? Zilch!
The optimism assumes Giannis can carry the offense as the “engine,” with Turner and Portis providing secondary scoring. But here’s the rub: Milwaukee lacks true perimeter creation. Without a secondary ball-handler or elite spot-up shooters in the frontcourt, the Bucks become predictable. Giannis’s heliocentric style works when there’s spacing, but against teams that double-team him (as the Celtics did effectively in recent years), who kicks out to? Turner’s shooting helps, but he’s not a playmaker (career 0.5 assists per game). Portis is more of a finisher than a facilitator. This trio doesn’t address Milwaukee’s need for off-ball movement or multiple creators—issues that plagued them in the playoffs.
Compare other front courts that stretch the floor, switch seamlessly, and have multiple threats. The Bucks’ setup feels like a throwback to the 90s bully-ball era, which the three-point revolution has largely rendered obsolete.
No discussion of this frontcourt is complete without addressing durability. Giannis is a tank, playing 70+ games most seasons, but he’s had calf and hamstring scares that sidelined him at critical times. Turner? His injury history is a red flag—he missed 25 games last season with a stress reaction in his foot and has dealt with calf strains and ankle issues throughout his career. Portis is tougher, but at 29, he’s not immune to wear-and-tear from his high-energy style.
In a league where load management is king, relying on three bigs means depth is crucial. If Turner goes down (a real possibility given his track record), the Bucks fall back on Portis and maybe a less proven option like Sandro Mamukelashvili. Suddenly, that “unmatched trio” becomes a duo, and the wall crumbles. The optimism glosses over this fragility—health isn’t guaranteed, especially in a grind-it-out Eastern Conference. Especially the way Giannis plays. So far he has counted on teams not bothering to defend him all on in the regular season. But there are young teams and players who saw what happened in Greece vs Turkey and might want to take on the challenge. It’s not that hard. If Dillon Brooks can shut Giannis down, hey, many can.
Doc Rivers brings championship pedigree (2008 with the Celtics), but his Bucks tenure has been rocky. Last season, Milwaukee underperformed expectations, exiting in the first round despite superstar talent. Integrating Turner—a new acquisition—alongside Giannis and Portis requires time. Rivers’ systems emphasize veteran leadership, but bigs need reps to gel on rotations, pick-and-roll timing, and defensive coverages.
Portis’s quote about “growing together” is feel-good, but NBA reality is harsher. Chemistry takes preseason games, early-season tweaks, and avoiding early slumps. Rivers has a history of slow starts (e.g., with the Clippers), and if the frontcourt experiments flop, fan frustration could mount. This isn’t a plug-and-play unit; it’s a high-risk rebuild of the paint.
Finally, let’s zoom out. The East is stacked: Boston’s dynasty-level depth, Philly’s Embiid-led firepower, Cleveland’s young guns, New York’s grit, and Orlando’s athleticism. The Bucks’ bigs might bully some teams, but against elite defenses, they’ll struggle. The Celtics, for instance, ranked first in defensive rating last season and have wings who can body Giannis while shooters pull him away. Philly could match size with Embiid and Paul Reed, turning games into slugfests where Turner’s blocks are neutralized.
In simulations or advanced metrics (like those from Cleaning the Glass), heavy-big lineups often underperform in pace-and-space eras. The Bucks might win 50+ games, but a deep playoff run? That’s where optimism meets reality. Last season let’s not forget that the Bucks beat zero teams above 0,500 in the regular season even.
One of the primary concerns with pairing Turner and Giannis is their overlapping preferences for operating near the basket, which could lead to congested spacing if not managed carefully. Giannis thrives on drives, post-ups, and transition attacks, averaging 30.4 points per game last season with a heavy emphasis on paint touches. Turner, while a capable stretch big (career 35% from three on about 3-4 attempts per game), isn’t a high-volume bomber like Kristaps Porziņģis or Karl-Anthony Towns, and his scoring often comes from pick-and-rolls or spot-ups rather than creating off the dribble. In Indiana, Turner’s teams weren’t dominant on the glass or in creating open looks, and analysts worry that without elite perimeter threats around them, defenses could sag off and pack the paint, limiting Giannis’s efficiency.
That said, Turner’s agility and shooting could mitigate this better than Brook Lopez did in recent years, allowing for more fluid movement offences like dribble hand-offs (DHOs) and short-roll decisions. Discussions online emphasise that Turner’s floor-spacing ability is a step up, potentially enabling three-guard lineups to pull defenders out. However, if Turner’s three-point volume doesn’t increase (he averaged just 3.5 attempts last season), the duo risks becoming predictable, especially in playoffs where teams like the Boston Celtics exploit poor spacing with switchable wings. Early posts from fans highlight the need for additional 3-and-D players to surround them, underscoring that their fit relies heavily on roster tweaks for optimal spacing. But this is just the common Bucks’ fans excuse isn’t it? “If only we had sharp shooters that never miss from the 3pt line…” Duh!
A glaring issue is Turner’s role as a potential second-leading scorer, especially after the Bucks traded Damian Lillard, leaving a void in perimeter creation and high-volume scoring. Turner’s career-high scoring is 18 points per game (from 2021-22), far below Lillard’s 25+ PPG output, and he’s more of a finisher than a self-creator, relying on screens and spot-ups rather than isolation plays. Analysts like those at The Athletic question whether Turner can handle the Bucks’ expectations to average more while maintaining two-way impact, noting that asking him to fill Lillard’s shoes could be overly demanding. Giannis has expressed excitement about Turner’s ability to shoot and drive, but reports suggest he’s internally questioning if Turner is a true championship-caliber second option.
This lack of secondary creation exacerbates the Bucks’ offensive predictability. Without a reliable playmaker to alleviate pressure on Giannis, the frontcourt duo might struggle in half-court sets against elite defenses. Pundits like Bill Simmons have called the signing “desperate,” arguing that paying Turner $27 million annually highlights deeper roster flaws rather than solving them. While the Giannis-Turner pick-and-roll has “scary” potential, the team’s offensive ceiling depends on a committee approach, which could lead to inconsistent production if Turner under performs.
Defensively, the pairing shines in theory: Giannis is arguably the best help defender in NBA history, and Turner has led the league in blocks multiple times, providing elite rim protection. Turner’s mobility is an upgrade over Lopez, allowing for better switching and perimeter pressure, potentially enabling aggressive schemes with Giannis roaming. However, Turner’s drop-coverage style exposes weaknesses in isolation match ups against quicker forwards or guards, where his foot speed can be exploited. Analysts point out that Turner isn’t a direct Lopez replacement on defence, and without addressing the Bucks’ past perimeter vulnerabilities, the duo alone won’t fix team-wide issues. Giannis is no longer the best help defender, he seems more concerned with wondering aimlessly about looking for a highlight block.
Head coach Doc Rivers’ system is a potential mismatch, with critics on Reddit warning that his outdated schemes could hinder Turner’s impact, limiting the duo to regular-season success rather than playoff dominance. The Bucks’ front office views Turner as an “evolution” of Lopez, but integrating him requires chemistry-building, especially with a younger roster post-Lillard. Depth remains a red flag; as ClutchPoints notes, the Bucks lack enough support around Giannis, meaning Turner must be exceptional, not average, to open the championship window—potentially necessitating midseason trades.
Giannis’s media day comments didn’t fully ease future concerns, hinting at underlying doubts about the roster’s competitiveness. While Turner is excited about the fit and their early communication, the pressure on this duo to gel quickly is immense, given Milwaukee’s recent first-round exits.
The Turner-Giannis pairing offers tantalising potential—a mobile, two-way frontcourt that could dominate the paint and stretch defences. Yet, fit issues in spacing, creation, defensive versatility, and team integration make it a gamble. For the Bucks to succeed, Turner must elevate his game, the roster needs bolstering, and Rivers must adapt. Without these, this “wall of bigs” might crumble under playoff scrutiny, as sceptics like Simmons suggest. As training camp approaches, watch for preseason chemistry; it could determine if this duo propels Milwaukee back to contention or exposes deeper flaws.Look, I get the excitement—the Bucks have talent for days, and if everything clicks, this front court could be special. Giannis is a generational force, and adding Turner’s defence addresses a key weakness. But labelling it an “unmatched trio” that will “reshape the East” ignores the NBA’s complexities. Spacing issues, defensive mismatches, creation gaps, injury woes, integration hurdles, and stiff competition make this more gamble than guarantee.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, despite being one of the most dominant names in the NBA, possesses limitations that inherently make it challenging for any teammate to thrive alongside him, including someone like Turner. His subpar outside shooting—career 28.9% from three on low volume—forces defences to sag off him, clogging driving lanes and reducing spacing for others, which particularly hampers bigs who also prefer interior play and requires a supporting cast heavy on elite shooters to open up the floor. Furthermore, Giannis’s heliocentric playing style, where he handles the ball extensively (usage rate often above 30%), demands complementary pieces who excel in spot-up shooting and off-ball movement, limiting the effectiveness of players without strong perimeter skills and reducing opportunities for teammates to cut or create independently. His inconsistent free-throw shooting (around 70% career) invites “Hack-a-Giannis” strategies in crunch time, disrupting team rhythm and putting undue pressure on others to compensate during high-stakes moments. These factors create a roster-building puzzle, as analyses note how his approach maximises his own impact but can stifle team dynamics, making it tough for non-specialised players to fit seamlessly and often leading to frustrations in playoff scenarios where adaptability is key. You can’t blame it all on Doc Rivers!
As fans, we love bold predictions, but smart analysis demands balance. The Bucks could contend, but they’re not locks for the top. Keep an eye on training camp reports and early games— that’s where the real story unfolds. Check them when the going gets tough, in clutch, against better teams.
Over the last regular season, Milwaukee frequently began the final period with Giannis on the bench due to rotation planning under Coach Doc Rivers. During these stretches, the Bucks’ offense has shown surprising efficiency, posting positive net ratings and often building or maintaining leads before Giannis returns. Observers have noticed that lineups featuring Damian Lillard, or in the past Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez allow for more spacing and ball movement, as the team often leans into a pick-and-roll-heavy approach and quick perimeter offence.
Midway through the fourth, Giannis is typically reintroduced, intended to stabilize and close out tight games. However, this move sometimes coincides with a downturn in offensive momentum:
Teams adjust their coverage, intensity increases, and Milwaukee sometimes struggles with late-game execution and turnovers. Giannis doesn’t adapt. He can’t.
In the February 20th game against the Clippers, for example, Milwaukee surged in the early fourth quarter while Giannis was under a minutes restriction. The supporting cast led a rally that was only challenged once Giannis returned, with the Clippers mounting a comeback. Similar patterns have been documented on Bucks fan forums, sparking debate about substitution timing and the best offensive approach in high-stakes moments.
Statistically, Milwaukee’s net rating overall is higher with Giannis on the floor, but the nuance of fourth-quarter substitution patterns paints a more complex picture. These situational surges reflect not a flaw in Giannis, but the multifaceted nature of NBA lineup chemistry:
While the Bucks are generally stronger with Giannis, the fourth quarter “surge-then-slowdown” phenomenon is real and supported by both game logs and widespread fan observation. This nuance should inform future coaching decisions, with a blend of non-Giannis lineups and better-utilized closing rotations potentially unlocking Milwaukee’s explosive late-game potential.
By understanding why and how these patterns emerge, fans and analysts gain a richer picture of the Bucks’ crunch time identity in a season defined by fascinating ups and downs.Recent Bucks seasons have featured a surprising trend: Milwaukee often performs better during the opening minutes of the fourth quarter when Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the bench, only to see momentum shift after he returns. This phenomenon, widely discussed in fan forums and supported by select game logs, raises questions about rotation strategy, offensive chemistry, and Milwaukee’s best crunch-time approach.
Doc Rivers’ substitution patterns often have Giannis resting to start the fourth quarter. During these minutes, the Bucks’ lineup—with Lillard, Middleton, Lopez, and agile reserves—tends to play faster, lean into high-volume three-point shooting, and show improved ball movement. Their defensive rebounding also stabilizes, fueling quick transition buckets. Multiple times last season, these lineups outperformed the opposition, either growing leads or closing deficits.
As Giannis checks in midway through the fourth, a pattern emerges: opposing teams often ramp up scoring and Milwaukee’s offensive flow can stall. With Giannis on the floor, defenses collapse into the paint, sometimes bogging down the Bucks’ spacing and making ball movement more predictable. Whether the issue is increased defensive attention, fatigue, or sluggish rotations, the Bucks’ net rating tends to stall or even decline during these minutes. Games such as the February 20th win over the Clippers exemplify this—Milwaukee’s best fourth-quarter surge came while Giannis was resting, and the lead diminished after his return.
Fan frustration over Doc Rivers’ rotation decisions became a consistent storyline. Many Bucks followers pointed out that Milwaukee’s quick ball movement and balanced scoring work optimally when Giannis is off the floor, while reintroducing him late can slow the offense and invite comeback runs from opponents. Whether the cause is substitution rhythm, defensive adjustment, or playcalling, the fourth-quarter splits remain a major point of discussion.
While overall net ratings heavily favour Giannis’ presence across the season, these fourth-quarter bursts—when the game is fast and Giannis is off the floor—reveal the complexity of crunch-time basketball. The Bucks are not truly “better” overall without Giannis, but they do have specialised situations where secondary lineups generate unique advantages, and understanding these moments could help the team optimise future closing rotations. Giannis is not known for his basketball IQ nor for quick thinking in clutch situations. He often makes mistakes, turnovers and he can’t screen to save his life. Let him play his heart out in the easier games and easier situations.
This recurring fourth-quarter story is more than just anecdotal: it’s a tactical subplot that continues to shape Milwaukee’s late-game identity. By learning from these patterns, the Bucks could unlock even greater closing efficiency—combining Giannis’s strengths with lineups that maximise ball movement and outside shooting in the game’s most pivotal moments. But it is safe to say they can keep him on the bench longer. It would be great if they could copy what coach Spanoulis did with him in the Greek National team but truth be told it would not work with the much higher level of play in the NBA where more players can shut down Giannis effectively on their own.
Milwaukee Bucks fans are at it again. As the 2024-25 season wrapped up with another frustrating early playoff exit— a first-round flameout against the Pacers after scraping into the postseason as the East’s No. 5 seed at 48-34—the scapegoat du jour is Doc Rivers. Social media is ablaze with calls for his firing, memes about his “clutch-time meltdowns,” and hot takes blaming everything from his rotations to his post-game pressers. But let’s pump the brakes. Doc Rivers isn’t the villain here. He’s a championship-winning coach (2008 with the Celtics, remember?) who’s now saddled with a .548 winning percentage in Milwaukee despite inheriting a roster that’s equal parts superstar talent and glaring mismatches. The real culprit? Giannis Antetokounmpo. Yeah, the two-time MVP, Finals MVP, and perpetual All-NBA freak of nature. His limitations—stubborn refusal to evolve his game, a personality that keeps potential teammates at arm’s length, and a playing style that’s tailor-made for 82-game stat-padding but crumbles under playoff pressure—are the anchors dragging this franchise down. It’s time to stop with the excuses and face the music: Giannis is a regular-season monster who vanishes when the lights get brightest.
Hired mid-2023-24 after Adrian Griffin’s abrupt firing, Doc Rivers walked into a pressure cooker. The Bucks were 30-13 under Griffin, but whispers of locker-room discord and defensive lapses were already swirling. Rivers steadied the ship somewhat, finishing that season at 13-7 after a rocky 5-6 start in his tenure. Fast-forward to 2024-25: 48 wins, a top-11 offense (115.5 PPG), and a middling defense (113.0 PPG allowed)—hardly the apocalypse. His overall Bucks record? A pedestrian 66-54.
Fans point to Doc’s “poor adjustments” in the playoffs—like last year’s second-round debacle against the Celtics in 2024, where Milwaukee got swept in five after Giannis’ calf injury sidelined him for two games. But even when healthy, Rivers’ teams have overachieved relative to talent. In Boston, he won 56 games with a balanced roster; in Milwaukee, he’s squeezing blood from a stone. As one insider noted ahead of 2025-26, Rivers is “uniquely qualified” to maximise this group’s defence, yet the Bucks’ interior personnel (hello, Giannis and Lopez) hasn’t translated to elite stops because the offence stalls in crunch time—more on that later.
Blame Doc if you want rotation roulette or sideline suits, but he’s not the reason the Bucks are 11-17 in the playoffs since their 2021 title run. That’s on the guy whose name is on the marquee.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is a walking highlight reel: 6’11”, freight-train athleticism, and stats that scream superstar. Career regular-season averages? 23.9 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 4.9 APG on freakish efficiency. In 2024-25, he bumped that to 30.4 PPG and 11.9 RPG, finishing second in scoring. But playoffs? That’s where the mask slips. Career postseason: 27.0 PPG and 12.2 RPG—impressive volume, sure, but on brutal efficiency. His true shooting dips to 56% from 61% in the regular season, and his three-point volume craters (1.5 makes on 4.0 attempts at 38%, vs. 29% career). Teams pack the paint, dare him to shoot, and he obliges with wild drives that yield turnovers or contested bricks.
The real indictment? Clutch time. In his last seven playoff games (spanning 2024-25’s first-round exit), Giannis averaged 29.9 PPG but on laughable 53/25/60 splits—53% FG, 25% from three, 60% FT—and a 56% TS. That’s not elite; that’s inefficient heroism. Critics have roasted him for years: In 2020, he “choked” against the Heat by settling for jumpers instead of attacking; in 2023, Miami’s zone exposed his lack of shooting, forcing 20+ FT attempts per game (he shot 63% from the line). Even in the 2021 Finals, his 50-point closeout was iconic, but it masked a series of inefficient outbursts (e.g., 34 points on 28 shots in Game 4).
At 30, Giannis hasn’t grown. No reliable mid-range, no pull-up game, no off-ball movement. He’s a one-dimensional bulldozer who pads stats in open-floor regular-season romps but gets neutralized when schemes tighten. As one analyst put it, “Giannis is the only severely limited player of that caliber in the NBA,” and opponents exploit it ruthlessly. Doc can’t coach evolution into a guy who’s won two MVPs without bothering to add a jumper. He can’t screen either. Hell, he can’t even understand more advanced plays and dumbs down the entire team.
Giannis’ personality doesn’t help recruitment. He’s infamously antisocial with rivals—refusing offseason workouts with other NBA players because it “takes off his edge.” In a league where chemistry is king (think Curry-Draymond or LeBron-AD), this “me vs. the world” vibe screams red flag. He doesn’t train with active players, doesn’t build bonds; it’s all business, no buddies. Damian Lillard joined in 2023, sure, but that was a salary-dump necessity, not a dream team-up. Dame’s fit was clunky—pick-and-rolls fizzle because Giannis clogs the lane—and whispers of friction emerged by mid-2025.
Other stars? Crickets. Why join a small-market grind where you’re the sidekick to a ball-dominant alpha who won’t pass out of doubles? Trade rumours swirl around Giannis himself—recent “very real” talks with the front office about his future—but no superstar is lining up for Milwaukee. As one Bucks beat writer noted, even Giannis knows trades happen to “superstars” if the front office falters, yet his isolated style makes building a superteam feel impossible. In an era of player empowerment, who’d choose iso-ball in the Deer District over Hollywood glamour?
Bucks Nation has a PhD in deflection. Let’s run through the classics:
These aren’t conspiracies; they’re shields against the truth. As Kevin Garnett bluntly said, Doc’s struggles stem from “the players,” not his schemes—every roster can’t play for him, but Giannis’ limitations amplify flaws everywhere.
The Bucks’ 2021 ring was lightning in a bottle—health, grit, and a perfect storm. Since? Four straight playoff disappointments: ECF loss in 2022, first-rounders in ’23 and ’24, and another quick exit in ’25. Giannis is the common denominator: a stat-sheet stuffer who feasts on regular-season cupcakes (30+ PPG on fast breaks) but wilts when schemed against. His “clutch block” in 2021 was magic; his 2025 closeouts were duds.
Doc Rivers might not be the saviour, but firing him now is just another excuse. The real fix? A hard reset around a star who can actually grow—or trade the one who won’t. Bucks fans, your loyalty is admirable, but denial is deadly. Face it: The Greek Freak’s limitations aren’t fixable by coaching tapes or trades. They’re baked in. Until Milwaukee admits that, the parade dreams stay on hold.
If you’re reading this in Milwaukee, stock up on therapy sessions. Stop sharing his points/assists/rebound numbers. We all know they are rigged for him, the entire team helping him get those numbers and sacrificing their own. Stop shouting “when he gets a jumper…” he never will. Or “wow, what a dribble” in the one time it works out. Giannis can’t shoot. He can’t dribble (tops the leagues in palming and other errors.) He can’t pass, Sengun is 100% correct. Forget about that highlight mid season when it didn’t count. He has no court vision and no basketball IQ. Stop judging him from highlights against easy opponents and re-watch the tougher games. The truth hurts, but it’s the only path forward.
Giannis loves Doc Rivers – here is why and how https://greekinter.net/giannis/2025/05/20/doc-rivers-tenure-with-the-milwaukee-bucks-giannis-loves-him-end-of-story/
What Doc Rivers said to Giannis and Dame in their not so secret meeting https://greekinter.net/giannis/2025/03/23/what-doc-rivers-said-to-dame-and-giannis-in-their-secret-meeting/
Giannis is uncoachable – read the signs https://greekinter.net/giannis/2025/03/19/it-aint-doc-rivers-fault-giannis-is-simply-uncoachable/
In the pantheon of NBA greats, few players embody offensive versatility quite like Carmelo Anthony. Known for his silky mid-range game, deadly jab steps, and isolation scoring prowess, Melo was a nightmare matchup for defenders throughout his career. On the other hand, Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Greek Freak, has built his Hall-of-Fame trajectory on sheer athletic dominance—barreling to the rim with eurosteps, thunderous dunks, and relentless drives. While Giannis has expressed interest in training with retired legends like Melo to expand his arsenal, the reality is stark: he simply can’t replicate Anthony’s style. Over a decade in the league, Giannis has shown minimal evolution in key offensive skills, adding precious few tools while regressing in others.
Carmelo Anthony’s game was a masterclass in offensive craftsmanship. He excelled in the mid-range, where he consistently shot around 35-36% from 10-16 feet in his prime years, using footwork, pump fakes, and pull-up jumpers to create space. His three-point shooting peaked at over 40% in seasons like 2013-14, and he maintained a free-throw percentage often above 80%, making him a reliable closer in crunch time. Melo’s assists hovered around 2-4 per game, but his value lay in self-creation—iso plays where he could dismantle defenses one-on-one without needing elite speed or vertical leap.
Contrast that with Giannis. From his rookie year in 2013-14, where he averaged just 6.8 points on 41.4% shooting, his game has always centered on physical gifts: length, speed, and power. He thrives at the rim, converting over 78% of attempts there in recent seasons, often via straight-line drives or transition buckets. But this reliance on athleticism limits him in half-court sets against packed defenses. Unlike Melo, Giannis lacks the refined footwork for jab-step pull-ups or the touch for consistent mid-range fadeaways. His career three-point percentage sits inconsistently low, and he rarely attempts the kind of contested jumpers that defined Anthony’s scoring. Even as Giannis has voiced admiration for Melo—recently stating he wants to train with him because “I don’t like working with players who are playing right now”—the body types and ingrained habits make emulation improbable. Giannis is a 7-foot freight train; Melo was a 6’8” surgeon with the ball.
Giannis entered the NBA as a raw, skinny prospect from Greece, with scouts praising his potential but noting his lack of polish. Over 12 seasons, he’s transformed into a two-time MVP and champion, but a closer look at his stats reveals a player who has leaned heavily on his natural tools rather than building a diverse skill set.
Expert takes echo this. Discussions on his growth mindset praise his work ethic, but they often circle back to the same traits: obsession with the game and physical dominance, not technical refinement. One analysis notes he’s “not the most skilled,” relying on discipline over innate finesse. In essence, Giannis has polished his strengths but added few new weapons, making his game predictable in playoffs where athletic edges are neutralized.
Worse still, Giannis has backslid in areas that could have diversified his attack, further distancing him from a Melo-like versatility.
Social media and forums buzz with similar observations: while fans laud his passing as “underrated,” broader takes question if his development has plateaued, with one post calling him “one of the best development stories” but implicitly noting it’s more about physical maturation than skill acquisition.
At 30 years old (turning 31 in December 2025) fundamental changes are tough. Melo himself responded enthusiastically to Giannis’ interest, praising his “student” mindset and offering to mentor. Yet, absorbing Melo’s jab-step mastery or mid-range touch requires years of repetition Giannis hasn’t invested. His body—built for explosion, not subtlety—doesn’t lend itself to Melo’s deliberate pacing. Plus, with regressions in shooting mechanics, adding finesse now feels like patching a sinking ship rather than rebuilding it.
Analyses suggest Giannis thrives by amplifying his gifts, not reinventing them. Attempting a Melo transformation could dilute what makes him special: that unstoppable force to the basket. As one veteran coach might say, “A—holes don’t get better”—implying ego can stall growth, but in Giannis’ case, it’s more about path dependency.
Giannis’ inability to play like Carmelo Anthony underscores a career of limited skill expansion. He has regressed in shooting reliability, leaving his game one-dimensional compared to Melo’s multifaceted scoring. As the NBA evolves toward spacing and versatility, Giannis’ stagnation could cap his legacy unless he defies the odds. For now, the Greek Freak remains a force of nature—not a craftsman like Melo. And his lack of development is showing in comparisons with younger more capable players that can do it all. Just because Giannis happened to see some old YouTube clips of Melo one night recently doesn’t mean he can emulate anything at all.
Giannis Antetokounmpo on SPORT24, this is the original article here. All rights reserved and all that Disclaimer stuff, not my text, all photos from there, click for the original, I am just translating for foreign readers.
Literally everything has been written and said about Giannis Antetokounmpo. Pleasant and unpleasant. He has been deified and leveled, like every great athlete. Who he is is up to each person to decide .
But surely, the megastar of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Greek National Team goes to bed at night proud of what he has accomplished, happy for what he has offered on and off the field, happy because he never stopped trying to make the next day better than the previous one.
A few days after winning the bronze medal at EuroBasket 2025 and just before returning to the USA for the 13th season of his professional career, the kid who just wants to play basketball visited SPORT24 for the biggest conversation of his life.
Because what you are about to read was definitely not an interview.
The relief for the medal, the slap in the face to Larentzakis, Spanoulis’s words, the question to Sloukas, the trade of Doncic and his future in the NBA, the Bucks of 2026, the discussion about the “best player in the world” and the very likely possibility that he will come to Europe in a few years to end his career here.
This and much more, in a unique 73-minute conversation, which you will watch again and again.
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What are the days like after success?
I’m fine, I’m happy, I’m healthy, my family is fine. We came 3rd in Europe, I’m having a good time. Nothing changes for me.
I try to be the same person in both defeat and victory.
I was definitely very happy because so many people were happy, and when I go out on the street or when my family goes out on the street, I feel the love.
They pass by my house and shout ”
Yiannara, you made us proud, well done ” and all that, ”
give your mother kudos for the way she raised you “
It doesn’t change anything. I come home, the moment I walk in the door, I become a dad.
I take my kids to school, pick them up from school, then home, they eat, and then if mom lets us, we go for a couple of hours and play basketball. Nothing changes.
Certainly, with the fact that we won, a weight was lifted off me, because I always wanted to have success with the National Team in my career and it’s something I was missing.
You saw it, the world saw it, how I reacted at the end, you’d say I three-peat with the Chicago Bulls
For many, my reaction was excessive. Not for people here from Greece, but for people from America, they can’t understand it.
But why, while they have started watching EuroBasket more, don’t they understand the culture more?
What bothers me is that you can’t tell someone what’s important to them and what’s not.
For me, winning MVP may be important, but winning something with the National Team is more important.
Sorry, but it is. Anyway, it doesn’t matter.
I’m happy, now I’m smiling, yes, because now I’m not playing.
When I’m focused and playing, I always want the job to get done.
I want to give my best, I want to help the team.
I believe that God has given me an opportunity and put me in a position and I never want to take advantage of that position or take it for granted.
I know I have a few years ahead of me and I want to achieve my dreams and goals.
Right now, whatever I’ve set my mind to, I’ve accomplished and now I’ve just realized that I like living under pressure and adrenaline.
I want to set goals in my life, fight and try to achieve them.
Now I’m going to push you a little, I want to look at a photo and I want to see if you remember when and where it was taken.
Giannis Antetokounmpo at the 24MEDIA offices, a few days after his selection in the Draft, summer 2013
I had hair.
Oh, yes, and you were a kid.
And you were still short, you hadn’t gotten it yet.
I was 2.06 then, yes.
It was a few days after the Draft, you hadn’t even been to America yet. A few days later you started this journey and now we’re just before your 13th season in the NBA.
The years passed, very quickly.
Let me show you what you said in that live chat we had.
My voice hasn’t changed.
Twelve years ago, you loved the National Team ever since. You’ve already spent 10 summers with it and have played in nine of the 11 tournaments you could have played in. And yet, there are still people who believe that in the summers you’ll look for a way not to come.
I have said one thing, so I am healthy and I can, I will always be available for the National Team.
The one summer I didn’t come, I had surgery on my right knee, and in 2017, when I couldn’t, I tried to come.
You came, but you were injured in a friendly against Montenegro in Belgrade.
I tried. Okay, it doesn’t matter what 10% or 5% or 1% of the world thinks.
I have played nine tournaments with the National Team, I wish I could play 15-20 tournaments
And I did what I wanted to do, win a medal for the National Team.
We left the cellar, we have more to go than the copper.
Yes, yes, yes, we have, we have. It is definitely very difficult.
Both Serbia and France are improving a lot.
So in 2027, which is two years away, you will have Canada, the USA, South Sudan, Australia.
Countries that are very dangerous and will be very good.
We need to improve too. We need to train, find kids, have good years and be ready in two years from now to come and help the team.
But let’s go back a little to what I said.
I’m glad I had the success with the National Team and we won the medal, I did it with my brothers, which, you understand, is even more special for me.
And I’m so happy for my mother, who was able to see this.
I can’t imagine, as a father of four children, what it’s like to see three of your children make their dreams come true and win something for a country I’ve been in for 30 years, my mother for 32-33 years.
I believe it was a unique moment for my mother and she enjoyed it more than anyone.
In Vegas, last December, we had a conversation after winning the NBA Cup. You told me ” I want to be healthy, I want to play, we want to get the medal and we’ll have a lot to talk about .” At that time, I felt that you had something in you, but I didn’t want to pressure you. Now that this success has happened, what is this “something” that we have to talk about?
Okay, as you’ve known me for 13 years now, I always try to talk on the field. After the games I don’t like to make statements.
In the NBA, it’s mandatory, if you don’t do them, you get fined and they take the money from your salary.
But whenever I have the chance and I don’t get a fine, I don’t want to talk, I don’t like it, I prefer to talk on the field, that’s the kind of kid I am.
I believe that…
Okay, anyway, it doesn’t matter.
It’s just that sometimes people don’t understand that being Antetokounmpo is also a burden.
Because I never wanted to be famous, I never wanted to play for the money, I wanted to play for my family, not me
You’ll never see me in an interview saying ” I want to have a better life .”
I always said I want my mother and father to have it, because I believe they deserve it, because they raised us the way they raised us and made all these sacrifices, and I want them to have a better life.
My father had time from 2013 when I was drafted until 2017 when he passed away, four years, to see me do what I love.
And Thanasis and Kostas and Alex.
He caught up with this better life, he saw what I was able to offer.
I went to a public school, down in Sepolia, where I finished elementary, middle, and high school. The two younger brothers, Kostas and Alex, went to a private school.
I was in a position where I was able to offer this to my siblings, my father saw it, that’s enough
It’s not like he only saw me on the field.
He saw me grow from a child to a man, he met the woman of my life, whom I have married.
Okay, he didn’t meet my kids.
Anyway, I went too far.
Being Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t all about the good, it also comes with a burden
You have to be right, you have to be a role model for the children.
You have to be able to inspire the next generation by being authentic and being low-key, that helps a lot.
And anyway, I’ve heard everything. Your friends write it down (laughs). I’ve heard everything.
You read everything.
Yes, I read them all, because they boost my morale, I get courage, I get motivation.
I get motivation because I’m like that, like a child, I like challenges.
I like being told I can’t do it, I go out there and give it my all.
I don’t believe there will ever be a game that you’ll play or watch after 5-6 years, 10 years, where I don’t give it my all, don’t sweat, or have a breather.
There are games where I can’t breathe because I give it my all, but I’ve certainly heard everything, that I don’t deserve to be in the National Team, that I don’t deserve to have a Greek passport, that I don’t.
That I can’t play in Europe because the European style is different.
This was ten years ago, of course.
Okay, I’ve heard of them though.
I’m glad that the 1% of the world or some journalists who say these things are the same ones who have helped me be in the position I am in today.
To be very tough mentally and to have made all my dreams come true.
I’ll ask you something as Haris, not as a journalist. In Slovenia, if you say that Luka is not the best in the world, they might beat you up. The same in Serbia with Jokic. In Greece, many say that Luka is the best, Jokic is the best. Doesn’t it seem a little strange to you?
Look, it’s the eye test.
And it’s what you like, what you prefer.
The public here in Greece may like a player who passes well.
With you, but you are our child.
Yeah, okay, it doesn’t work like that.
I might not be one of the best players in the world in five years.
They won’t say that Giannis is the best player in the world. But then again, it’s everyone’s preference.
The top five players I think are Luka, Jokic, SGA, Tatum and me
And it depends on the year you are doing it.
So if I, let’s say, go back this year and I’m improved and I help my team win the East and we go to the final and we play against whatever team is there, I automatically become the best player in the world.
But if Luca does it, he becomes the best player in the world.
If Jokic does it, he’s the best player in the world.
When you get to that point, what is your preference? What do you like to see?
My preference has always been to see a player who will not only be a good player, but will also be an example for his teammates in behavior.
It’s not enough to just score goals to be a leader, it also counts in the locker room how you are and on the bus, and when you eat as a team, how you are, how you behave.
Anyway, whoever has the best year will be the best player.
My preference is two-way players. I like one player, Anthony Edwards, I like him a lot.
I like Anthony Davis, see what I mean?
I mean, I like Leonard, I like him a lot.
I like players who can play both defense and offense and are dogs.
When we enter the field, know that they will always give 100%, they may not play well, but they will always give 100%.
Some people like shooters, others like passers, some people who have a very high IQ, the sharp-shooters.
Anyway, what I have to say is that preference doesn’t matter.
Maybe here in Greece they think I’m not the best player in the world, and right now I’m not saying I’m the best player in the world either.
Do I believe I’m one of the best? Yes, I’ve believed it for the last eight years, but it’s with the year.
If I have a good year and help my team be successful, then I believe I will come out on my own and say that I am the best player in the world.
You once got angry with a question I asked you during Covid. It was after a match in Miami and I asked you if as you get older you have to learn not to play at 100% all the time. In that match you were worn out with offensive fouls. You got angry and you answered me ” I only know how to play at 100% “. That was your answer. I’ll ask you this question again. How easy is it when you’ve learned for so many years to bring your A-game every night, to take more care of your body?
Look, I’ll tell you one thing.
I can’t stop playing at 100%, I don’t know, that’s how I’ve learned, I don’t know if it’s even possible
Last year I changed my game a bit, I shot a few more two-pointers, mid-range.
I hope as I grow older I can shoot three-pointers.
But I have learned one thing that helps me.
In the past, I played 100%, but I also trained 100%, meaning, in training I was even worse than what you saw in the game.
And for me and for all basketball players you can ask, training is much harder than playing.
In training, the coach allows fouls, do you understand?
So you make a mistake, he stops training, yells at you, curses at you, takes you out, kicks you out of training.
In the game, you can’t kick me out. That means I’m wrong, we continue, the game continues.
Training is more difficult.
I learned from Coach Ziva that to get a lot, you have to give a lot. Do you understand?
What you give, you get.
Now I’ve reached a point where I play in red all the time, not that I don’t train, I just train smarter.
I take better care of my body, I rest more, instead of training for eight hours or six or four in a row, I might do one and a half and then come back in the evening to do another one and a half.
I have learned to take better care of my body and train smarter.
This in the game helps me play 100% and not put so much wear and tear on my body.
In December, I’m going back to Vegas, you told me – and this was a statement that went around the world – that you were thinking about and that you wanted to play five years in Europe because it would be different for you and your body and you would enjoy a different game. Do you really believe that? Do you see it happening?
Yes. Last year, after the pre-Olympic, I was sitting with Thanasis, as I told you, we were watching some highlights and I said to him ” hey Thanasis …”.
Look now, he was looking at me like I was crazy.
The best player in the world, one of the best players in the world, to come and play in Europe?
Is this happening, my child?
Of course it can be done.
If you told Jokic he would get about the same money and be in Serbia, he would do it.
Okay, I think about my body a lot. Of course the amounts are very different and not just the amounts.
The organization is completely different, you’ve come to the NBA, you’ve seen how things are.
But every year I play for the National Team, I always say the same thing.
I told my wife too.
I say to her, ” What do you prefer, staying in Greece or going to Milwaukee? “
He looks at me, says ” in Athens, in Athens, it’s good in Athens .”
I say, ” Okay, think about it .”
I believe the game is much more physical here.
You take more punishment, but there are no bodies to punish you. Do you understand?
It’s a little more insidious.
Yes, it’s more insidious. It’s a little dirtier, but there’s no Duren from Detroit.
There’s Segev from Israel, who will elbow you in the middle, but you’ll get past him.
Yes, it’s not Adebayo, it’s not Steven Adams, it’s not Zach Eddy, it’s not Anthony Davis, it’s not Jaren Jackson.
I can tell you names now until tonight.
You’re kidding, but for me they just don’t have the same bodies here in Europe.
And maybe the wood is a little less.
So you see it happening. Is it possible at all?
Yes, this is where Messi went to MLS, he went to Miami
If the right specifications and timing are there, it doesn’t affect me at all.
I’m holding Athens – Milwaukee. You didn’t tell me Barcelona, Monaco, Milwaukee, you told me Athens – Milwaukee.
You got it.
A while ago you said that you went to a public school, where you were a classmate of Giannoulis Larentzakis. Is that right?
Yes, I was a classmate with him for a year and a half.
Everyone talked about this incident in Thessaloniki, everyone analyzed it, everyone did a psychogram. Now tell me, what happened?
Nothing happened.
You see, in the next game Larry was throwing me a bone, in the locker room we were ass and pants.
We’ve been like this since we were little kids, we’ve played in many tournaments together.
I didn’t throw it at him as hard as it seems, I really mean it, I didn’t throw it at him that hard.
We talked, we finished it, we laughed, that was it, it wasn’t anything.
But isn’t it amazing when you’re Giannis, when you’re such an important person, that something very small becomes so big?
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. But I didn’t like it, it wasn’t right the way it happened.
And I was very sad, because it’s not just that I see it, Larry and I are friends – and Larry has slapped me more than I’ve slapped him.
It’s that we, two friends, gave anyone the right to talk about our relationship and say ”
if Giannis had it in for me, I would have punched him .”
And for all those who say this, you should know that I’m 2.10 and 115 kilos.
No one would slap me, because before you could reach me, Thanasis would have jumped in front of you and Kostas, you saw what happened with Valantsiounas.
We are three brothers who have slept in the same bed, worn the same shoes, worn the same clothes, eaten, had a loaf of bread, cut it to share.
You can’t understand.
To be on the field at the same time playing and me passing a pass to my brother to shoot and someone hitting him?
You don’t see, you forget the game.
You really forget about the game and try to protect your brother as best you can.
But Larry and I, guys, are friends.
I won a medal with my siblings and with the other kids, but the fact that I won a medal with my classmate is also very important.
We talked and we were both saddened by what was said, by the fact that I pushed.
Let’s go back to the National Team. You made this bronze look like gold and you did it with your good mood, with your smile. How difficult was this whole journey? No one believed in you. Or at least, almost no one.
Of course, they didn’t believe us. Some people said we weren’t even in the top ten in Europe, I saw that too.
They put us 8th in the power rankings, they said we wouldn’t be able to cope, they said about Olympiacos, about Panathinaikos, Giannis can’t, he’s not a leader, he doesn’t speak, we saw it all
I remember the first day I went to training.
I looked at coach Spanoulis, I said to him ” coach, we’re good “. He said to me ” I’ve built the team the way it should be, I’ve put shooters in, they’re all shooters “.
I tell him ”
Come on, coach, I’ll do it myself “
I think he built a very good team, but that was the beginning, then it’s the players who make the difference.
From the first moment I entered the locker room, I went straight to Sloukas and talked to him. I said to him, ” What do you see? ” He said, ” I believe it .”
I tell Sloukas ”
if you believe it once, I believe it a thousand times more, this is our year “
Every year, I say this for the first time, every year I play for the National Team, I always think of Nick Calathes, I think of Papanikolaou, every year, I’m like this like a child.
I always say ” let’s make it, because these kids deserve to get a medal” .
This year was the first year, I also told Papanikolaou that, who said ”
guys, I want the medal, I want it “
I knew that we hadn’t won a medal in 16 years.
The coach wanted it too, but above all, before that, before I thought about anything, I said ” I want it, I want it, I want to achieve this success .”
I entered the preparation very focused and I think I set an example for everyone, that ” guys, I’m not here to waste my summer, nor to play games, we’re here to get better, to be focused and to focus on ourselves .”
I was saying that we are a small flame that will be very difficult to extinguish.
If we’re all on the same page, we’ll do well.
And if you look at the entire tournament, beyond the match against Bosnia that we would have actually won if I had played, but even without me playing we would have won if it counted, we lost one game, against Turkey.
There they extinguished the flame a little.
They didn’t wipe it out for us, because in the end you always have to end the tournament with a win.
And playing on the last day of the tournament.
Yes, playing on the last day of the tournament, which we hadn’t done for 16 years, and ending with a victory.
Okay now, whether it’s gold or bronze, it didn’t matter at all, because as a national team we have won six medals in our history and we won one this year.
And we have tournaments ahead of us and we’re improving and we believe more that we can go and make a splash.
If you look at 2022, when Germany beat us, they came in 3rd.
We would have won it if we had beaten them in that match. I really believe it.
Look, to tell you the truth, Spain got it because it deserved it.
But we had beaten them that summer.
We had beaten them, we had beaten them by 20 points at OAKA. But I want to tell you something.
The Germans who beat us, came in 3rd and then went on to win the World Cup, then came in 4th at the Olympic Games and then went on to win the EuroBasket.
For what reason?
Because I believe that the medal gives you strength, it gives you motivation, it makes you believe.
After 2021 when we won the championship, every year I believed I would win.
Every year. This thing, I don’t know, makes you feel like a superhero and a maniac.
And right now I believe that this medal will also make it to our National Team.
I hope we are healthy in 2027, we will be here to go and play.
Will the coach be there?
I have no idea…
Okay, I don’t want to embarrass you. But I want you to tell me about the coach, what have you experienced? A conversation he has told you, that you have never discussed.
You’re not putting me in an awkward position.
I will say one thing, our collaboration with coach Spanoulis was AWESOME, from the first day we came into contact, from the first phone call.
I am a person who always says that you should do what is best for yourself and your family.
I wish we could continue together, but he will do what is best for his family.
Who am I to tell him what, that doesn’t exist.
I like it because it motivates me and tells me the truth.
He’s cruel to you, people don’t know that.
He’s very harsh on me and he knows I can handle it.
Because he understands that we are all the same, that we are dogs, that we are warriors, that when someone says we can’t, we go and prove to them that we can and that we have no fear when the time comes.
That we are not afraid because we have prepared so much, we have put in so many hours of work and we are ready.
I liked one thing, he told me throughout the preparation, ” I see it in your eyes, in your eyes, we will succeed .”
I don’t talk much, I was always nodding my head, saying ” yes coach, yes, yes, yes, yes “.
He tells me ” I don’t care, I don’t care, I can see it in your eyes, this is our year, we will make it, I can see it in your eyes “
And you know, when someone tells you, you start to believe it.
And he kept telling me that and I believed it more. Then, I believed it even more.
After the match with Turkey…
In my morning training, I have a routine where I sit for 5-10 minutes and just try to tell myself ” don’t take this moment for granted in life, having this pressure is nice, it’s a beautiful thing, go out on the field and give it your all because you have your family .”
He came next to me and told me some things, helped me understand what I had to do in the match against Finland to help my team win.
And at that moment, I didn’t tell him, but he’ll see now, it helped me a lot.
Many athletes say that in the finale, the feeling of relief is much greater than the feeling of happiness.
Yes… I felt relieved…
You didn’t celebrate. When Kostas and Thanasis caught you, you simply closed your eyes and let yourself be carried away in their arms, before what followed followed. You didn’t celebrate.
I know, I know…
Even when I won the championship, I didn’t celebrate.
I went straight to the locker room, put my hands up, hugged my mother, my brother, my wife, then sat on the bench.
Then you saw what happened, I cried, I cry a lot, I don’t know why.
Then I went to the locker room and called Thanasis. That was it.
Now that we won the medal, my brothers hugged me, which was a very beautiful moment and a very beautiful photo came out that I will frame at home and I just had a moment where I said ” well, he came, he came, okay, he came and a weight was lifted off me “.
But what weight? I’m putting the weight on, because I want it so much
And then I went live, we listened to Lex, we listened to Light, Thanasis played some songs, Sloukas was dancing.
Chaos, chaos ensued, the coach spoke, they were pouring champagne in the locker room, we were all soaked.
I sat down, that was it.
And then I went and was a dad, I went to the hotel and was a dad again.
Since you’re talking about victories, for Pantelis Vlachopoulos, the greatest moment in the history of SPORT24 in the 20 years we’ve been around – and we’ve been here for many of those 20 years – was this video that we’re going to watch.
You went viral…
I don’t know if you’ve seen this video.
No, first time.
I’m moved, it was a terrible moment, remember, closed borders due to Covid, we had put in a lot of effort to be there. But I will always remember a thing you said, that you are a pleaser and that you want to make the people around you happy. And at least my life, you have changed it. You make your dreams come true, that’s how I’ve been making mine for so many years. And we thank you very much. Fortunately, you came today so that we could overcome that moment with something even greater. Has there come a time when you said ” man, I can’t carry this burden “?
Yes, of course. Okay, I’ve said this before.
Pressure is a privilege, but I’ve realized that now, in my 30s or 28, 29, 30.
In recent years, earlier, when I was a kid, there were times when I would go to the stadium and I didn’t even want to step on the court.
The match would end and I would say, ” Well, this match ended well. I’m going home to my child, I can’t do it anymore .”
Or after a Lakers game I was sitting with my brothers, I said to them ” Guys, I can’t play basketball anymore, I don’t know, for some reason now it’s become like a job, I don’t enjoy it like I used to “
Why you get into a routine, it’s not just your environment that does it, the environment will definitely do it as if it were a routine.
It’s a job, you have to be Giannis Antetokounmpo every day and get on the court and be the best and put up 30 and get them on your back and win the championship and all that, which the environment certainly does that, but then you do it to yourself.
Because if you’re a perfectionist and you always want to be one of the best, I might not say it, but I think it in my head.
I want to be among the best, I always want to be there.
There was a time when I saw it as a job and I spoke to a sports psychologist, we’ve been talking for seven years now and he has helped me a lot in my way of thinking, not only in the sports aspect, but also in life as a dad, as a husband, as a brother, as a son, as a person in general.
And it completely changed my mindset, you have to find joy.
I remember one day I was in the locker room and a teammate of mine, I don’t want to say his name, said to me, ” if you come in today and this player punches you in the face, I mean, you’ll be everywhere, they’ll put you on social media, you’ll be everywhere, they’ll laugh .”
And I tell him ” that’s not true, the way you’re thinking is very wrong, because I could punch him in the face or cut him off, so I’ll be everywhere .”
I found joy in what I do again from 2022 onwards.
And now I’m in the best phase of my life, not only in the way I think, but also in my body and the way I play.
I like it. I love basketball a lot and changing your environment sometimes helps you fall in love with basketball again.
Do you remember 2022? I had made a post with the National Team, that I had found the love for the sport again.
And the same this year and the same with the Olympics.
Every time I play for the National Team, I fall in love with basketball all over again because I understand what it is, why I do this thing.
Anyway, there are so many moments when I’ve said I want to give up, but don’t quit today.
If you gonna quit, don’t quit today, quit another day. You want to quit, ok, it’s ok. But, not today.
Score 30, score 50 and then quit, like Michael Jordan, three-peat and then quit
In 2015, you played a game with the Knicks in London. On that trip, I did an interview with Hakeem. He comes and says to me, “You’re from Greece.” I tell him, “yes.” He says to me, “You have Giannis, do you know if he’s of Yoruba descent?” I tell him again, “yes,” and he says, “I’m Yoruba too. This kid will become the best player in the world.” You worked with Hakeem. You worked with Garnett and Kobe. Tell me something that each of them has said to you. I’m mainly interested in what Kobe told you.
With Kobe…
I went to the stadium where his daughter was practicing. The practice was around 12, but since my flight was at 8:30, I had nowhere to go.
I arrived in Orange County, where he lived nearby, around 9, went to the stadium early and waited.
I stretched, I shot, I sat and waited.
When Kobe came and opened the door, it’s this thing that… The breeze, breeze, breeze…
He opened the door and walked towards me and it was as if everything was moving in slow motion.
I mean, imagine. God forbid. Imagine if Kobe or Jordan came in, you’d be in for a shock.
Are these 3, 5, 10 seconds that will be in slow motion and you’ll say, wait, wait, what’s going on here?
I wasn’t Giannis Antetokounmpo then, I wasn’t the player I am today, I was 22-23 years old and it was Kobe
It was Top5, Top10 of all time.
We talked about defenses, we talked about training.
He told me that I was one of his daughter’s favorite players and when he came he was embarrassed to talk to me.
You’re Kobe Bryant’s daughter, why are you ashamed?
He told me how to study defenses.
That it is very difficult for defenses to make adjustments in the NBA.
” Look at the previous three games and if the defenses playing those superstars are like this, get ready to face that defense too .”
And I say to him ” what if they change? “
He replied, ”
They don’t change, I’ve done it my whole career and I’ve destroyed them all, defenses don’t change .”
And I’m starting to see it.
And if you look from 2019, from Toronto, I’ve seen everything.
I’ve seen things that other players haven’t seen. Kobe was double-teamed, but they didn’t put a wall on him!
They always put the toughest guy on me, then comes the double-team, then there’s a wall from behind.
I’ve seen everything in my life. I’ve seen box-and-one, which is a four-man zone and one guy chasing me so I don’t get the ball.
Kevin Garnett now.
When you talk to Kevin Garnett, you feel like you can run through a wall, he’s incredible.
Hakim teacher, very relaxed, I don’t know what he was like when he played.
Kobe and Garnett were intense when I spoke to them, they were intense because they had recently retired.
Hakim had been retired for twenty years and was a little more relaxed, but a teacher.
He was awesome and whenever I play in Houston, he always comes and sees me, we still talk a lot about footwork.
Yes, of course I knew that we have the same origin and not only the same origin, the same number, everything, incredible.
I don’t like working with players who are playing right now.
I want to work with young people and with LeBron, for example. I could work with LeBron, but he’s still playing. I’ll see him in a month or two and he’ll be my opponent.
I like working with players who have retired. I think the next one is Carmelo Anthony, I would really like it, for the mid-range, for the face-jump, his game was very effortless, very easy, very relaxed.
What team has pushed you to your limits? I think the 2019 series against the Raptors is the first one that comes to mind. I remember you on the court looking for some oxygen. What other team has pushed you to your limits?
With Toronto I was young. If I was 27, 28, 26 to 30…
It was the first time I was in the top four, it was the first time I had been in such a big game, big stage, big series.
I was young, I was a kid, I was 24 years old.
I remember this series, but it helped me a lot, because that’s where the wall started.
This defense that I see, that has been made for me, started there and I don’t think Nick Nurse thought of it, but Scariolo.
And now you saw with Spain, the same thing again.
Miami is also a team that pushes me to my limits, because they have bodies, they have a culture that never gives up, they work very hard.
I believe that these series and these teams made me better.
It is these teams that have shaped who I am, shaped my character and helped me win the championship in 2021.
I was tougher as a player and as a person and in my mentality and everything.
I see these teams as helping me become who I am, just like Detroit helped Jordan become who he became.
If Detroit didn’t beat him up and there weren’t these Jordan Rules, he wouldn’t improve and he wouldn’t go for the three-peat.
Like me, it’s the same thing for me, okay, I didn’t get six championships, I got one.
Since you mentioned 2021, can you now that several years have passed, take us a little through the process after the injury in Atlanta, what followed until you stepped on the court again?
I came back after six days. I wasn’t 100%, but there was no other choice.
As I say to coach Vasilis who asks me ” are you hurting, are you hurting? “, it doesn’t matter if I’m hurting, I’ll play, what does it matter?
Why are you asking me if I’m in pain? Since I’m going to play, it doesn’t matter at all.
I still have it, it’s been four years and I still feel it.
For people working from home or watching online, you can go watch the moment.
I fell down, hurt my foot, went to the locker room and was walking, Thanasis helped me because my foot was upside down.
I went to the locker room with Thanasis and my leg was normal. They fix it, they do it like this, they tell me mmm…
I was listening to them. ” No, no, ” the doctors, the Americans, were saying. ” No, no, he can’t come back, ” something like that.
What do you mean? Did you want to get back into the match?
I’ll tell you, the GM comes and tells me ” John, finally, you’re not coming in .”
I grab his hand, pull it off me, tell him ” I’ll play! “
I walk outside, go to the goalie and when it was 14, I see Bogdanovic make a three-pointer for +17.
The third period was about to end and I said ” it’s 17, huh? So now I should rest, go back to Milwaukee and beat them there or go fight it out? “.
But they were holding me back, my manager, Alexis Saratsis, was holding me back, the GM was holding me back, the doctors were holding me back, I didn’t understand anything, I wanted to play.
And we get there, I see the three-pointer and I’m like, ” Oh, no, no, okay, let me go back to Milwaukee and rest, put some ice on it, do my treatments, eat well, see my family and get ready for Game 5. “
And I look at my leg as I say this and it’s doubled in size, wet everywhere, I’m like ” oh, what’s wrong with me? “
Anyway, I went home and because I’m very religious, I prayed with my mother, I cried a lot, I told her ” why me, why always me? “.
I was also injured with Miami, the previous year, in the bubble.
And he says to me, ” Because you are who you are and you are my child and I always knew, before you were born, that you would be great.”
I was crying, ” Leave me alone, Mom, leave me alone, Mom .”
He tells me ” no, we’ll pray .”
I prayed, I said, ” Please God, help me, I won’t take this moment for granted, help me come back, play, help my team if possible, if not, I understand .”
This is how it had to be done, this is how things had to be done. And okay, I didn’t stop for the next six days.
I slept two hours, two-three hours a day. I went to the pool and did gymnastics from 6 in the morning until night, I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t step on it.
Then, at night, I would hit it, then the next morning I would jog, then I would run a little more.
And then I had a thing over here so my leg wouldn’t bend at all.
What Tim Duncan and Dragic wore, I don’t know if you remember.
I said ” it doesn’t matter, I’ll play, I don’t care “.
They tell me ” if you play, you could get injured much worse and be out for a year, a year and a half, two years “
I don’t care, I’ll play. That helped me keep a very clear mind and when I came in and played in the first match, everyone was nervous and I was still saying it’s good that I’m playing.
So I was in a very different mindset than the others.
The others were stressed, it’s the final, I was saying ” six days ago I could have been out for two years “
And okay, in the first match I came in, I wasn’t 100% and we lost.
In the second match I got a little more confidence. I said ” okay, I can do it and I’m going to do it “.
We lost the match, but I scored 40.
Then in the 3rd match we won, I scored 40 again. The 4th match was very difficult.
Things weren’t going well, but given Giannis’s stats, any other player with 26/18/6 would have crossed the line and been very happy.
In the end, what happened happened. But I really like Game 5, because we played really good basketball, just like the game against Lithuania.
The game against Finland was really great, but the game against Lithuania was even better. We played really good basketball.
Kostas came in and was the X-Factor, Toliopoulos was very nice and aggressive, Samodurov took very nice shots, Papanikolaou was terrible in defense, Sloukas made very good choices, Kalaitzakis was terrible in defense.
I did my job, Thanasis had taken us all together. I liked this match, because this match had people.
I will remember Game 5.
We played really good basketball, Holiday was very aggressive, every choice was right, Middleton found me on every pick-and-roll, he made the shots.
We were down 18 points. We turned it around with three-pointers, the ball was going away too fast, no one was holding it.
Holiday takes the ball from Booker. You go and dunk, you go down and look at the camera. What did you feel in that moment? I think you must have gone to another world in that moment. The feeling must have been extreme.
It was a very nice feeling.
It was a moment that I knew cemented the victory, we locked it in, that’s why I looked at the camera.
I don’t celebrate much, I celebrated a little with my teammates.
The phase was a bit dangerous.
Paul’s foul was harsh. It was dirty, I’m saying it, you don’t have to say it. Your hand got stuck on the backboard too.
It’s a good thing I was able to hold on to the rim a little, because if I hadn’t, I would have been gone.
Anyway, it doesn’t matter, history was written and then, in Game 6, what happened happened.
I haven’t seen the last match, I won’t, I’ll see it when I retire.
I want you to tell me where you were and what you felt the night Luka Doncic was traded.
I was in therapy with a friend of mine, he tells me, ” John, Luka went to the Lakers .”
I say ” what are you saying, since he’s not a free agent, since he’s not free, how is he going to go to the Lakers, don’t bother me, let me watch the game now “.
And he answers me ” no, no, there was an exchange .”
Wait, where did the exchange take place?
He brings me the cell phone and I see that there was an exchange! I was shocked.
I won’t lie to you, I was kidding myself, I’m saying if Doncic was traded, everyone can be traded!
Doncic is one of the best players and last year he took his team to the final.
Get this out of your mind…
Of course it crossed my mind!
But you are not the same.
Yes, we’re not the same. But Luka, he’s Luka Doncic, guys. And in terms of age, he’s 25 years old.
But that’s how I live my life, I don’t take anything for granted.
Excuse me now. Has it ever crossed your mind that you might read your Twitter exchange? I don’t think that’s possible.
Look, I hope it never happens, but I’m still waiting for it.
Because it doesn’t mean that just because you’ve contributed to the team, the team won’t do what’s best for them.
It’s not always the owners themselves.
And when I say the owners, the presidents of the team now, they are not the same as the ones who won the championship, they are different.
And if Giannis doesn’t do it for me, can’t offer it to me, I’ll trade him.
I will do the best for my team and for my investment. Because I have put hundreds of millions into the team.
Surely, if I were flying in the clouds, I would say
“yeah, there’s no way I’m being traded, I’m Giannis Antetokounmpo”
Because I don’t fly in the clouds and I’m very normal, normal, down to earth, I say anything is possible, you never know.
Are you at a point in your career, in your life in particular, where you are more open to hearing another point of view, to thinking about a different possibility? To keep it short, you understand what I mean. Are you at this point in your career?
Now you’re talking about a team?
I’m saying it can change anything in your career.
One thing I want to say is that I like challenges.
I’ve realized that I like living with pressure. Is that good? Is that bad? I don’t know.
If I’m in an environment where there’s no pressure and I don’t believe we can achieve anything great, I don’t want to be there, things just go on.
It doesn’t make me happy anymore, as a person. When you get to 30 and you have four kids and you’re married, I think when you get married, you become more mature.
I want to do what makes me happy, because I believe I deserve it, because I have worked for it.
I want to do what makes me happy, and what makes me happy is winning and feeling like there’s a challenge.
To wake up in the morning and say ”
oh oh oh oh oh, we have to win today, if we don’t win today, what will we hear again? “
I mean, this, this thing.
This year you have a good challenge. The team is flying a little under the radar, but it could develop into a team that will play fun basketball. If you were the GM, how would you build the roster to get 100% from Giannis?
To get the best out of the team and to get the best out of me, I have to be a creator.
I need to feel like I can and do create.
If you look at the last two months of the team, where I had the green light, if I have the ball in my hands and I have that green light to create…
I don’t always have to execute, but I have to feel like I’m creating, that I’m part of the team and not just an executor, that I’m going in, I’m going to score 30, I’m going to get it in the post and I have to score it.
This is how my true self comes out, because that’s what I did at Filathlitikos and that’s what I always wanted to do.
And there were times when I did that in my career, but most of the time I was the executor.
In the last two months when I was more of a team creator, I had a good time.
I think the team did very well during that time.
We definitely don’t have a lot of experience, but we are young, we have legs, fresh legs.
We got a really good big man (Myles Turner). We got a good point guard, Cole Anthony, who I think will be an X-Factor and the surprise of the year.
Yes, there is a chance, definitely.
Slowly moving towards closure, I want to ask you about CAFF, first of all how much you miss your dad, how important this institution is to you and what it does.
I definitely miss my father. Not just me, the whole family.
I definitely know that he is looking down on us and is very proud of what we have accomplished and how we are like children and how we take care of mom.
It was also the first thing Kostas said after Finland, that if dad were here – and I think he was and posted a story about it on his social media – he would be very proud and happier than all of us.
We created a foundation in memory of my father to help people.
I am in this position because they helped me, not only me, but also my family, many institutions where my mother was registered and received fruit creams, diapers
The church helped us a lot.
We would go after school and he would always give us a plate of food before we went to practice.
Without these people we wouldn’t be here. And I’m trying to do the same, I’m trying to create a place, an environment where children and not just children, parents, can come and feel safe.
Because I remember when I went to church, to catechism, not only was I playing, it was also a way out of the house and I wasn’t at home when there was no light, no electricity, no water, I went to catechism and I felt safe.
I learned to play chess, to play board games.
He had a really nice basketball that I was shooting, I was there and I wasn’t on the streets.
If this hadn’t happened and I had grown up in Sepolia, Kolonos, Peristeri, Aigaleo, I might have done much worse things, because I may be low-key, but I am a child who would do everything in my power to help my family, just like so many people would do the same.
Now what would that be? I don’t know, it could be anything, anything
That’s why I want to create a place, an environment, with my family, where people will feel comfortable coming there, getting a plate of food, and playing.
To learn things, to give back to the world, as much as we can.
We have achieved this so far with the Academy that we have created and with many moves that we have made both in Greece and abroad.
And one thing I know is that my father, our father, because it’s not just me, it’s my siblings too, would be very proud of what we’ve done.
You don’t want to talk about your charity work and besides not wanting to advertise it, you don’t want us to talk about it either. And I think that’s enough to explain everything. Last question and I’m closing my papers because I have so many more. Tell me one thing you would do if you were prime minister for a month.
I keep my opinions to myself, but education would be free for everyone, for all children.
Why would someone have a better education? I mean, let’s say I was a very smart kid.
I have a crazy story to tell you. In the 2nd year of high school, I failed a class, History. I’ve never told this story.
Monday in high school, I’ve never stayed in the same class, I was pissed off, sorry for talking like that
My father used to tell me one thing, ” when you leave home you will go to school and after school you will come home before you go to practice, before you go to Triton to play, before you do anything. You will come home, I will see you .”
My father was strict, he had four boys and it had to be that way.
And he did a tremendous job because I’m so proud of my brothers and how they are, how they talk, how they behave, how they take care of their families, their wives.
I am very proud and very lucky to have these brothers, but this wouldn’t have happened if my father hadn’t been the way he was, he did a tremendous job and I wish I could do half the job.
My father used to say, ” I don’t care if you’re a good student, my boy, as long as you don’t have any absences .”
And I was like, ” Please, Dad, don’t worry, I won’t stay .”
Now that I’m older, I’ve realized that he just didn’t want us to get into trouble and be in the streets, on walks, in bad company.
Let’s say he didn’t want his children to get involved, and it’s very difficult for a dad who has come from another country to take care of his children in a foreign country where he doesn’t understand the language very well.
My father knew if it was possible for someone not to love people like us, foreign immigrants, he didn’t want them to corner us and beat us, break our legs, he didn’t know many people who could help him.
Anyway, I didn’t take many absences. I went to school, I was a smart kid.
On Monday of high school, I failed History and I go back home and say ” Dad “… He says ” What happened ?” I say ” Don’t be upset “, he says ” Okay “.
I tell him ” I missed a class “. He says ” Didn’t you study? ” I tell him ” Okay, I played a little basketball, I didn’t study much “.
He says to me, ” So what now, do you have to retake the class ?” I say, ” No, I have to retake it in September .”
Well, beyond all of that, I hope my kids have a better life than I had. What did I do? Second year of high school, I was 13, 14.
I would go and work with my mother because I was so scared, I didn’t want to stay, I didn’t want my father to get angry. I would go and work.
I tell her, ” Mom, because all the kids go to a daycare center behind the school, I want to go there .”
I went and spoke to someone myself and a lady told me it was 75 euros.
Seventy-five euros seemed like 20,000 euros to me then.
And I say, ” When we work together, can I save five euros, five-ten euros at a time, and then in September, can I go there for a week, take two or three lessons with her to pass the class? “
Anyway, I did it. I went, I passed the class, but what did I understand there?
I realized two things.
When I put my ass down and read and tried, I wrote 19 and passed.
And there I realized that if I had the freedom that all children had and didn’t work on the street and could go to a regular school that would help me, I would have a better chance.
Okay, I played basketball.
Many people from my neighborhood are still sending me messages asking me to help them.
What if I were… What if I were prime minister, it doesn’t matter.
I’m in this position I’m in, I can still do it through the foundation that my family and I have built, but this is what I would do.
Everyone should have free education and the best education, so that they can be very successful in Greece or abroad.
There I realized that all the things I’ve accomplished in my life, I achieved through hard work, man, no one gave me anything.
Even that, I went, worked on it myself and then got money and went and gave it away, 13-14 years old.
Will the children go to a Greek school?
Yes, that’s what I want is for them to learn a little bit about now, the culture, the traditions.
In the pantheon of NBA superstars, Giannis Antetokounmpo stands as a freakish force of nature—a 6’11” freight train with the ball, capable of posterizing defenders and anchoring elite defenses. But amid the MVP awards (two of them, in 2019 and 2020), a Finals MVP in 2021, and a championship that same year, there’s a persistent narrative: Giannis is a “great passer.” Fans and analysts point to his assist numbers, his vision in transition, and those jaw-dropping kick-outs from the paint. Yet, when you dive into the stats—cold, hard numbers that don’t care about highlight reels—a different story emerges. Giannis isn’t a good passer. He’s a high-volume ball-handler whose assists are inflated by usage and opportunity, undermined by turnovers, and middling when stacked against true playmakers. Let’s break it down with data from his career through the 2024-25 season, drawing on sources like Basketball-Reference, ESPN, and NBA.com.
At first glance, Giannis’s assist totals look solid. Over 12 NBA seasons (through 2024-25), he’s averaged 5.0 assists per game (APG) in 859 regular-season games. That’s climbed to 6.5 APG in his last two seasons (2023-24 and 2024-25), with 433 total assists in 2024-25 alone across 67 games. But context matters. Giannis leads the league in usage rate year after year—peaking at 34.1% in 2018-19—meaning he touches the ball more than almost anyone. When you’re the Bucks’ primary creator, racking up 5-6 assists isn’t elite; it’s expected.
Compare that to actual assist leaders. In 2024-25, Trae Young topped the NBA with 11.6 APG in 76 games, followed by Nikola Jokić at 10.7 APG. Giannis? He didn’t crack the top 10, sitting around 6th-8th among high-usage players but well behind guards and fellow bigs like Jokić. Even in April 2025, when he averaged a blistering 12.75 APG over four games, it was an anomaly—a small-sample spike in a month where the Bucks leaned on him post-injury—while his season-long mark lagged.
Here’s a quick table of NBA APG leaders for 2024-25 (minimum 57.4 games played per 82-team pace):
| Rank | Player | Team | APG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trae Young | ATL | 11.6 |
| 2 | Nikola Jokić | DEN | 10.7 |
| 3 | LeBron James | LAL | 9.1 |
| 4 | Cade Cunningham | DET | 9.0 |
| 5 | James Harden | LAC | 8.9 |
| … | Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIL | 6.5 |
Giannis’s career APG trajectory tells the tale: It jumped from 1.9 as a rookie (2013-14) to 5.9 in his 2018-19 MVP year, but it hasn’t budged much since—hovering at 5.7-6.5 APG from 2022-25. For a guy billed as a “point-forward,” that’s pedestrian. LeBron James, at age 40 in 2024-25, still averaged 9.1 APG while sharing ball-handling duties.
Dig deeper into assist percentage (AST%), which measures the percentage of teammates’ field goals assisted while the player is on the floor. Giannis’s career AST% is around 28-30% in recent years, peaking at 36.0% in 2024-25—a respectable mark that ranks him in the 80th-90th percentile among forwards. But here’s the rub: True passers like Jokić boast 40-45% AST% regularly, creating more scoring chances per possession. Giannis’s AST% spiked in 2019-20 (34.2%) thanks to Milwaukee’s improved spacing, but it dipped to 28.7% in the 2020-21 title year when defenses keyed on him.
Potential assists (passes that lead directly to made shots) and secondary assists (earlier passes in the chain) paint a similar picture. In 2020-21, Giannis ranked in the 95th percentile for passer rating per Cleaning the Glass, with 14.9% of his passes turning into assists—better than Stephen Curry’s 11.8% that year. Sounds elite, right? Not quite. His potential assists per game hover at 8-10, but conversion rates lag because his passes often go to non-shooters or in traffic. In 2021-22, the Bucks led the league in assist-to-pass percentage at 9.2% (up to 9.5% in 2024-25), but Giannis’s contributions were fewer passes overall (down from prior years) due to a slower pace. Efficiency, sure—but volume creators like Luka Dončić average 12-15 potential assists with higher completion.
Playoff pressure exposes this further. In the 2024-25 postseason, Giannis averaged 6.6 APG but with an AST% of just 35.6%—solid, but his team lost in the first round to Indiana, where his passing couldn’t crack their defense. Over his playoff career, his APG drops to 5.4, with notable clunkers like 4.9 APG in the 2018-19 semis.
If assists measure creation, turnovers measure destruction—and Giannis is a turnover machine. His career turnover percentage (TOV%) is 14.5%, meaning nearly 1 in 7 possessions ends in a giveaway. In 2024-25, he averaged 3.1 turnovers per game (TOVPG)—the highest among top-10 usage players. That’s more than double Jokić’s 1.6 TOVPG or Young’s 3.6 APG edge despite similar volume.
His assist-to-turnover (A/TO) ratio? A middling 1.9:1 career mark, dipping to 1.7:1 in 2024-25. Elite passers hit 3:1 or higher; even LeBron’s at 2.5:1 in 2024-25. Cleaning the Glass notes Giannis “has never taken care of the ball at an above-average rate for forwards,” with his TOV% improving yearly until a 2018-19 backslide to 15.2%. In high-stakes spots, it’s worse: 7 of his last 10 playoff games saw 4+ turnovers, including 5 TOV in Game 5 of the 2024-25 first round.
Why so turnover-prone? Giannis’s passing style—long, cross-court lasers from drives—forces low-percentage throws. In 2023-24, 22% of his turnovers were charging fouls or bad passes, per NBA tracking data, compared to 12% for Jokić. His AST:Usage ratio (assists per usage rate) peaked at 0.88 in 2018-19 but sits at 0.75 now—below average for creators.
Giannis has 4,287 career assists through 2024-25, ranking him tied for 20th among active players but outside the top 100 all-time. For reference, LeBron has 11,000+ at the same age. Among MVP winners, Giannis’s 5.0 APG career trails Jokić (7.2), Russell Westbrook (8.2), and even Derrick Rose (4.2, but with better A/TO).
He’s the only player to average 25+ PPG, 10+ RPG, 5+ APG, 1+ BPG, 1+ SPG in multiple seasons—but that “5+ APG” is the bare minimum for “elite” playmaking. Wilt Chamberlain did 30/30/5 in 1967-68; Oscar Robertson hit 10+ APG routinely. Giannis? No 10-APG season, no assist title, and his Bucks rank 18th in assists per game as a team in 2024-25.
Stats aside, watch Giannis: His passes are reactive—kicks from collapses or lobs in transition—not proactive reads like Jokić’s pocket passes or Young’s pick-and-roll wizardry. In 2024-25, 65% of his assists came off drives (per NBA.com tracking), but only 28% led to threes, vs. 45% for elite passers. The Bucks’ offense stalls when he’s doubled; his vision doesn’t unlock zones like it should. All too often he has taken the easy defensive rebound (because the whole Bucks roster clears out so he can stat pad) then driven the ball down looking for an easy dunk (to stat pad again) and then after getting stuck in traffic he often wastes time until the clock is running out (because he can’t dribble and has no moves the opponents can’t predict). Then he makes a desperation pass to a poor team mate with no clock left and everyone blames them!
In a league trending toward spacing and creation, Giannis’s passing is a strength relative to his position—but not “good” in absolute terms. It’s serviceable, inflated by volume, and crippled by sloppiness. With 3.1 TOVPG and sub-7 APG in his prime, he’s no playmaking savant. He’s a scorer who rebounds and occasionally finds outlets. Time to retire the “point-Giannis” hype. He can’t screen either. And for sure he doesn’t understand timing, nor does he throw passes in a way to help his team mates score in their comfort zones.
Most of all – as usual – Giannis fans are missing the important point. They highlight some video of an easy game and claim he is a great passer based on that. (Like they do for his 3pt….) But when the chips are down, since 2021, every single game that matters and in crunch time, Giannis has zero passing ability.
Data sourced from Basketball-Reference, ESPN, NBA.com, and Cleaning the Glass as of September 2025.
Saw it again today:
“BREAKING NEWS: Milwaukee bucks MVP/ Point Guard Giannis Antetokounmpo Donates Entire $20 Million Bonus and Sponsorship Deal to Charities and Homeless Relief” MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo Stated that” There are millions of people struggling every day — families without homes, kids without food, veterans without support.”
It is in hundreds of posts in social media from idiots who clearly don’t know how to research a little before posting. But it is not that simple. Because before that a similar rumour was circulating in Greece, to the extent that more serious media sources felt obligated to debunk it. (Link here – just use Google translate – https://mikropragmata.lifo.gr/zoi/ochi-o-giannis-antetokounmpo-de-eipe-oti-tha-dosei-25-ekatommyria-dolaria-se-filanthropies-stin-ellada-kai-sto-eksoteriko/ ) There is a similar “story” about Thanasis donating more than 12 million “bonus” (where the hell from?) Everytime the post has comments saying they are wonderful people etc.
So is it Giannis starting these rumours? As we documented before the voting for the NBA All Star is clearly problematic with serious indications of been manipulated by bots. While Giannis has not made a single, massive donation of that specific amount, he has a strong history of significant charitable giving. His efforts, often through the Charles Antetokounmpo Family Foundation, focus on causes he and his family care about, including supporting young people and addressing basic needs like housing, food, and education.
For instance the Milwaukee Homeless Shelter: He invested $7.5 million to open a shelter for homeless youth in Milwaukee. Sure, most of this money will be given in the future but even that amount is nowhere near the one mentioned in the fake news. “Powering Milwaukee Forward”: He and his foundation partnered with GE HealthCare to launch this initiative, which provides $1 million in grants to ten Milwaukee-area nonprofits. These organizations focus on improving access to basic needs like housing, food, and education for underserved communities. Again in the US, obviously as a tax write off. Giannis has also donated to Fiserv Forum staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, provided food boxes to people in his hometown of Sepolia, Greece, and partnered with UNICEF Greece to raise awareness for children’s rights. In general he seems more focused on doing philanthropy that appears in the news. Also he is clearly focused on trying to appear in Greek media for his many promotional efforts and sponsor deals there.
Giannis resorts to his personal story every time he fails on the court. Makes sense and good for him. But get a grip and maybe Google a bit before spreading misinformation. There are other NBA players with serious philanthropic projects that really make a difference.
Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 32.0 minutes per game across the 7 games he played for Greece in EuroBasket 2025 but in fact only faced one serious opponent, Turkey, where he failed in a most spectacular way. He was extremely lucky and wise to sit out the game vs Nurkic where he would have lost anyway. But let’s look at other EuroBasket 25 stats.
First of all Greece is still 8th in FIBA power rankings. Turkey went up a lot, Greece didn’t. Why? Because Greece clearly did not deserve a medal! If they had met any of the other teams above them in the rankings in a knock out stage (other perhaps than Spain and Lithuania) they would have lost. They were extremely lucky with the brackets and injuries of opponents.
Top Scorers (Total Points) Luka Dončić – Slovenia 243
Players with many less games are at the top of all categories in fact
Giannis also had 3.7 turnovers per game and as usual was terrible from the free throw line.
So how did he dominate the conversations? After all just one
bronze medal after 11 years of trying is a pretty pathetic achievement for someone who says he is one of the best players in the world. Giannis really milked sensationalism. Whether discussing death threats (ludicrous, all famous people get them all the time but don’t make a fuss about it) or acting all emotional upon winning the bronze, Giannis has also been busy enjoying fake news about his charity work. An extremely popular viral “news item” on social media claimed he donated his entire “25 million signing on bonus” which of course is 100% untrue on every level.
Giannis was also careful to pick when and how he played. He avoided Nurkic, knowing he would be obliterated if he played that game. He
strategically showed up when he knew he could do his thing only. And the one time he needed to be “the
best”, against the only decent team Greece faced, Turkey wiped him out completely easily. For those desperate to idolise him it was yet another minor misfortune (as it always is since 2021, every time he faces a more serious opponent) and they quickly focused on the win against Finland instead.
Now to the NBA, same recipe. He will dominate his personal stats, lose to the better teams and make an early playoff exit. He will indirectly blame his roster as usual and then the summer party of trade talks. It is never Giannis’ fault. After all these years in the NBA and all these years with the Greek national team, no, it’s not his fault. It’s everyone and everything else always, eh?
As the confetti settled in Riga, Latvia, on September 14, 2025, Greece’s national basketball team stood on the podium, bronze medals gleaming around their necks. It was their first EuroBasket medal in 16 years, a triumphant return to Europe’s elite basketball stage since Vassilis Spanoulis led them to bronze in 2009. Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two-time NBA MVP and undisputed leader of the team, was emotional in the post-game presser, calling it “probably the greatest accomplishment in my life.” The 92-89 thriller over Finland in the bronze medal game capped a rollercoaster tournament for the Greeks, with Giannis dropping 30 points and snagging 17 rebounds to seal the deal. Fans back home erupted in celebration, and rightfully so—representing Greece on the international stage is no small feat.
But let’s pump the brakes on the euphoria for a moment. While Greece’s run was inspiring, a closer look at the tournament reveals just how much luck factored into their podium finish. The bracket draw handed them a relatively soft path through the knockout stages, sparing them from several superior teams until it was too late. Opponent injuries provided additional breaks, weakening key rivals at crucial moments. And when they finally faced a genuine powerhouse in the semifinals—Turkey—the cracks in Greece’s armor showed, particularly with Giannis Antetokounmpo reverting to his all-too-familiar pattern of underperforming in high-stakes international games. Let’s face it: Greece was not the third best team of the tournament. Not even the 6th best team. They would have lost a knock out game against Serbia, France, Bosnia or other teams. They were just lucky they didn’t.
(Greece in the FIBA power rankings, as the 8th best European team. We all know that)
EuroBasket 2025 featured 24 teams divided into four groups, with the top four from each advancing to a round of 16 in Riga. From there, it was single-elimination knockout basketball—no second chances. Greece, placed in Group C in Limassol, Cyprus, navigated the group stage with a mix of grit and Giannis magic. They stunned defending champions Spain in a key win, but also dropped a game to Bosnia and Herzegovina without their star due to knee discomfort. Finishing strong, they advanced to the knockout rounds, where the real luck kicked in.
The round of 16 matchup was a gift: Greece drew Israel, a solid but far from elite squad that barely scraped out of Group D. Giannis exploded for 37 points in an 84-79 victory, but let’s be real—Israel isn’t the kind of opponent that tests a medal contender’s depth. They were the leftovers from a group that saw powerhouses like France and Slovenia advance with ease. Meanwhile, on the other side of the bracket, heavy hitters were duking it out early. Serbia, loaded with NBA talent like Nikola Jokić’s supporting cast, faced a tough Latvia in the round of 16. Finland, powered by Lauri Markkanen, took on a battle-hardened Georgia. And Germany, the eventual champions, cruised past weaker opposition but were primed for deeper clashes.
Greece’s quarterfinal draw? Lithuania, a basketball-mad nation with a storied history, but one that was conveniently hobbled (more on that later). The Greeks pulled out an 87-76 win, with Giannis scoring 29 points and the team dominating fast breaks 20-4. Impressive, sure, but Lithuania wasn’t at full strength, and avoiding a semifinal showdown with the likes of Serbia or a full-powered France was a massive break. France, perennial contenders with Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert, were shockingly eliminated in the round of 16 by Georgia—an upset fueled by France’s own injury woes, including Alex Sarr sidelined. Slovenia, led by Luka Dončić, bowed out early too, knocked out in a bracket that funneled the top seeds away from Greece’s path.
The semifinal against Turkey was the first time Greece truly collided with a top-tier team, and it was a 94-68 blowout loss that exposed their limitations. Had the draw been less forgiving—say, a quarterfinal against Germany or a round of 16 rematch with a healthy Spain—Greece might not have sniffed the semifinals. The bracket’s geography worked in their favor: Their half featured Israel and a depleted Lithuania, while the other side absorbed the brunt of the tournament’s elite talent. Serbia fell to Finland in the quarters, and Germany methodically dismantled everyone in their way en route to gold. Greece essentially lucked into a path that maximized Giannis’ individual brilliance against lesser foes while minimizing team tests until the end.
| Stage | Greece’s Opponent | Outcome | Why It Was Lucky |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round of 16 | Israel | 84-79 Win | Weaker team from a diluted group; no major stars to challenge Greece’s interior dominance. |
| Quarterfinals | Lithuania | 87-76 Win | Historic powerhouse, but ravaged by injuries (see below); avoided full-strength Serbia or France. |
| Semifinals | Turkey | 68-94 Loss | First elite matchup; bracket shielded them from earlier clashes with Germany or Finland. |
| Bronze Medal | Finland | 92-89 Win | Close game against a strong but fatigued 4th-place team; revenge for potential earlier bracket pitfalls. |
This table highlights how Greece’s knockout run was cushioned by the draw. Without it, their bronze dream might have ended in the quarters.
EuroBasket 2025 was dubbed “EuroInjuries” by some pundits, with a staggering number of stars sidelined across the tournament. Greece wasn’t immune—Giannis missed a group game with knee issues—but their opponents suffered even more, tilting key games in their favor.
Start with the quarterfinals against Lithuania. The Balts entered the matchup missing Rokas Jokubaitis, their promising point guard, who suffered a serious knee injury early in the tournament and was ruled out for the rest. Margiris Normantas, another key backcourt option, twisted his ankle, further depleting their guard rotation. Lithuania’s offense, which relies on sharp ball movement and perimeter shooting, sputtered without these players, allowing Greece to control the pace and exploit mismatches inside. A full-strength Lithuania—potentially with Jokubaitis orchestrating alongside veterans like Jonas Valančiūnas—could have forced Giannis into more double-teams and disrupted Greece’s rhythm. Instead, the Greeks feasted on easy buckets, shooting 63% from two-point range.
In the round of 16, Israel wasn’t decimated, but the broader injury wave hit teams that could have altered the bracket. For instance, if France (missing Alex Sarr and others) had advanced, they might have crossed paths with Greece later. Even in the bronze game, Finland was without some depth pieces, though Lauri Markkanen gutted it out. Markkanen’s Utah Jazz teammate Walker Kessler was limited by a minor tweak, reducing Finland’s rim protection in the clutch moments where Greece pulled away.
The semifinals against Turkey offered a glimmer of hope for Greece via injuries: Veteran wing Cedi Osman, a key scorer for the Turks, was battling swelling in his leg and could barely put weight on it ahead of the game. Coach Ergin Ataman called it “alarming,” and Osman was limited to spot minutes. But Turkey’s depth, led by Alperen Şengün’s dominant 25-point, 12-rebound performance, overwhelmed Greece anyway. Still, without Osman’s full contribution, one wonders if the blowout would have been as lopsided—though it didn’t matter for Greece’s luck narrative, as it propelled them to the easier bronze matchup.
These injuries weren’t isolated; the tournament saw Bogdan Bogdanović (Serbia) out with a hamstring pull, Johannes Voigtmann (Germany) sidelined, and more, creating chaos that indirectly benefited Greece by eliminating or weakening potential bracket foes. It’s basketball’s cruel reality: One tweak can swing a medal.
If the bracket and injuries were Greece’s luck charms, the semifinal against Turkey was the reality check—and it centered on Giannis Antetokounmpo. The “Greek Freak” had been a monster throughout the tournament, averaging over 25 points and double-digit rebounds, carrying Greece on his broad shoulders. But against a serious contender? He vanished.
Turkey dismantled Greece 94-68, holding the two-time MVP to a tournament-low 12 points on 6-of-13 shooting. He grabbed 12 boards and dished 5 assists, but his plus/minus was a brutal -30, and he was visibly frustrated by constant double- and triple-teams. Ercan Osmani, Turkey’s defensive specialist, clamped down on him, forcing turnovers (Greece had four early) and limiting his drives. Şengün owned the paint, outdueling Giannis in a battle of bigs that highlighted Greece’s lack of secondary options.
This isn’t new for Giannis in international play. He’s a playoff beast in the NBA, but FIBA games against top teams often see him neutralized—remember his muted Olympics performances or past EuroBaskets where defenses packed the lane and dared teammates to shoot? Against Turkey, Greece’s supporting cast (Thomas Walkup, Kostas Papanikolaou) couldn’t punish the help defense, leading to a 26-point drubbing. It took the easier bronze game for Giannis to rediscover his form, but the semifinal exposed that Greece’s success hinged on him feasting against inferior competition. If they’d faced Germany earlier—Dennis Schröder’s MVP squad that thrived on team basketball—Giannis might have been similarly stifled, ending their run prematurely.
Greece’s bronze is a proud moment, a testament to Spanoulis’ coaching and Giannis’ leadership. They overcame group-stage hiccups, including playing without their star, and delivered in the bronze thriller. But stripping away the hype, their path was greased by a favorable bracket that sidestepped powerhouses like a healthy France or Serbia until the semis. Opponent injuries, from Lithuania’s backcourt woes to Turkey’s Osman question mark, provided unearned edges. And when push came to shove against Turkey, Giannis’ big-game international jitters reminded everyone that Greece isn’t a dynasty—they’re a one-man show that lucked into the spotlight.
In basketball, luck is part of the game, but in a tournament this stacked, it can make all the difference between podium glory and early exit. Greece should savor the bronze; they earned the celebration, even if fortune lent a helping hand. What’s next for the Greeks? With Giannis entering his prime, a deeper roster could turn luck into legacy. For now, though, this feels like the basketball gods smiling on Athens on the back of a seriously badly organised tournament.
The way Greece deploys Giannis differs markedly from his role with the Bucks, highlighting the contrasts between NBA team dynamics and FIBA. Let’s break it down based on his usage, role, and impact. Sure, up to now he has avoided any serious match ups. He knew to sit out the game against Nurkic who probably had his number and has generally played against much easier opponents. But that’s not all.
With the Bucks, Giannis operates as the primary offensive engine in a balanced NBA system, but he’s surrounded by complementary pieces like shooters (e.g., Damian Lillard before his departure) and secondary creators who help distribute the load. Milwaukee’s offence often runs through pick-and-rolls, drive-and-kick actions, and staggered minutes with players like Khris Middleton, allowing Giannis to conserve energy for his signature rim attacks while sharing playmaking duties. His usage rate hovers around 35-38% in recent seasons, but it’s mitigated by the team’s depth and the 48-minute NBA game length.
In contrast, Greece under coach Vassilis Spanoulis treats Giannis as an absolute focal point—essentially the “unquestioned alpha” in a roster lacking the Bucks’ spacing and depth. The Greek squad, featuring his brothers Thanasis and Kostas Antetokounmpo, Tyler Dorsey, Kostas Sloukas, and Kostas Papanikolaou, relies heavily on Giannis to carry the load, especially without elite NBA-caliber support like Nick Calathes or Georgios Papagiannis. This has led to more isolation-heavy usage, where he’s often triple-teamed but still explodes for 25+ points in eight straight EuroBasket games—a streak that’s extended to 10 now.
This isolation emphasis stems from FIBA’s tighter court (91 feet vs. NBA’s 94) and distinct rules—no defensive three-second violation, shorter shot clock (24 seconds vs. 30), and more physical play—which amplify Giannis’ drives but expose the team’s limited shooting. Spanoulis has even opted for small-ball lineups, positioning Giannis as the “five” (center) against mixed defences to exploit mismatches. Teammate Tyler Dorsey called him an “unstoppable force,” noting how the team rallies around his dominance despite the roster’s gaps.
One stark difference is minutes played. With the Bucks, Giannis logs 33-35 minutes per game over an 82-game grind, often showing fatigue in clutch moments (as discussed in prior analyses of his high usage). At EuroBasket, he’s averaging under 30 minutes per outing—e.g., 29 in the Israel win—thanks to shorter 40-minute games and blowouts when he’s on. This rest allows fresher legs, leading to absurd efficiency: 78% FG against Israel and 82% vs. Georgia, far surpassing his NBA marks (around 60% FG overall).
However, officiating has been a point of contention. Spanoulis blasted refs after the Spain game, arguing Giannis gets “hacked” without calls—e.g., just 12 free throws despite driving relentlessly—compared to stars like Luka Dončić (20-23 FTs per game). In Milwaukee, Giannis draws 10-12 FTAs per game with NBA whistles favouring stars; in FIBA, the physicality (and perceived bias) forces him to power through without as many trips to the line, making his scoring even more reliant on athleticism.
Rebounding is similar (9.8 at EuroBasket vs. 11.9 with Bucks), but Greece’s weaker interior depth means Giannis crashes harder—e.g., 14 vs. Spain and 10 vs. Israel—while also anchoring a switch-heavy defence. With the Bucks, he shares this with bigs like Brook Lopez (pre-trade); here, he’s the lone rim protector, leading to more blocks and steals (e.g., 2 each vs. Georgia). Assists are slightly lower (4 vs. 6.5), as Greece’s offence funnels through his drives rather than complex Bucks sets, though he flashed play making with 9 vs. Spain.
Ultimately, Greece uses Giannis as a one-man wrecking crew—isolating him to “play superhero every possession” in a depth-starved setup—yielding MVP-level output but exposing vulnerabilities if he’s off (Greece lost their only game without him, 80-77 to Bosnia). With the Bucks, he’s the hub of a more distributed system, reducing his touches but enhancing team efficiency. This FIBA freedom suits his game on the smaller court, where his length and speed overwhelm, but it risks burnout in knockouts—like tomorrow’s quarterfinal vs. Lithuania.
If Greece advances (they’re three wins from a title, their first since 2005), it could validate this usage as a blueprint for high-stakes play. For Bucks fans, it underscores why Milwaukee needs better support around him heading into 2025-26. Giannis’ EuroBasket run (second-highest scorer at 30 PPG behind Dončić’s 34) proves he’s adaptable, but his true test is blending this dominance with NBA balance.
In the 2023 NBA season, Giannis recorded a usage rate of 38.77%, one of the highest in NBA history, trailing only behind ball-dominant guards like Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Usage rate measures the percentage of a team’s offensive possessions a player uses while on the court, and Giannis’ figure is extraordinary for a power forward/centre. Unlike perimeter ball-handlers who typically dominate usage, big men rarely command such a large share of the offence.
This high usage translates to Giannis controlling the ball for extended periods, often driving to the basket or creating plays. While this maximises his individual impact, it can limit touches and scoring opportunities for teammates. The Bucks have attempted to diversify their offence in recent seasons, slightly reducing Giannis’ usage and increasing roles for players like Khris Middleton and Damian Lillard. Yet, Giannis remains the undisputed focal point of Milwaukee’s attack.
Giannis’ ball dominance has a measurable effect on his teammates. Data from sources like StatMuse and NBA.com shows that players like Khris Middleton often perform better in terms of scoring efficiency and usage when Giannis is off the court. For example, Middleton’s effective field goal percentage and per-game scoring tend to rise in minutes without Giannis, suggesting that the latter’s heavy ball-handling can disrupt teammates’ offensive rhythm.
This dynamic is particularly evident in lineups where Giannis’ presence reduces teammates to secondary roles, limiting their ability to find a consistent flow. The Bucks have experimented with staggered lineups to balance this, giving players like Middleton and Lillard more opportunities to handle the ball. However, the team’s heavy reliance on Giannis as the primary creator often overshadows these efforts, especially in crunch time.
While Giannis excels at scoring in the paint, his shooting efficiency from the free-throw line and beyond the arc remains a weak point. His free-throw percentage has declined in recent seasons, dipping below 65% in some years—well below the league average for primary scorers. This inefficiency is particularly costly in high-pressure situations, where missed free throws can shift momentum.
Similarly, Giannis’ three-point shooting is a liability. Over the past few seasons, his three-point percentage has hovered between 22% and 28%, and his attempts have decreased, reflecting either reluctance or a strategic shift away from long-range shots. This lack of outside shooting makes his offensive game predictable, forcing him to rely heavily on drives to the basket. In turn, this can lead to contested shots, increased physical wear, and offensive stagnation against elite defences that clog the paint.
Giannis’ aggressive style contributes to his turnover rate, which averages around 3 per game but can spike in playoff scenarios or under defensive pressure. These turnovers often stem from ambitious passes or drives into crowded lanes, exacerbated by fatigue. Playing 33-35 minutes per game on average, Giannis’ high usage and physical playing style take a toll, particularly in the fourth quarter.
While Giannis scores a significant portion of his points (approximately 29.8%) in the final period, his shooting and free-throw percentages dip slightly in clutch moments. This suggests that fatigue impacts his decision-making and efficiency late in games. Moreover, the Bucks’ defensive lapses during Giannis’ extended ball-handling sequences can leave them vulnerable, as opponents capitalize on transition opportunities or exploit mismatches.
In clutch situations, Giannis’ impact on win probability is mixed. He often generates points through sheer force, but his inefficiencies and turnovers can undermine Milwaukee’s execution when balanced play is critical.
Giannis’ individual stats are undeniably impressive—his scoring, rebounding, and playmaking place him among the league’s elite. However, his high usage rate, shooting inefficiencies, and late-game challenges raise questions about whether his style priorities individual production over optimal team outcomes. The data suggests that his ball dominance can suppress teammates’ contributions, while his inefficiencies from the free-throw line and beyond the arc limit his versatility in crucial moments. With Greece this is not the case. Giannis wants to play less so he doesn’t risk injury and Greece wants him off the court at parts of the game when he would be a detriment.
In tougher games, particularly in the playoffs, balanced team play and clutch execution are paramount. Giannis’ current approach, while dominant, may hinder the Bucks’ ability to maximise their championship potential. To address this, Milwaukee could further diversify their offence, encouraging more playmaking from supporting stars like Middleton and Lillard while refining Giannis’ role in late-game scenarios.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s playing style is a double-edged sword. His historic usage rate and relentless aggression make him a superstar, but they also come at a cost. By limiting teammates’ involvement, struggling with shooting efficiency, and showing vulnerabilities under fatigue, Giannis’ approach can hinder the Bucks in high-stakes games. A more balanced offensive strategy could unlock Milwaukee’s full potential and elevate their chances of winning another championship. But the sad truth is that this sort of approach only works in the Mickey mouse world of the FIBA tournament with second rate players and professionals who do not want to risk injury. Most of them are not playing at full capacity like they would in NBA playoffs where as we have seen many times, Giannis simply cannot move the needle when it counts.
Here is the list of players with the most total points in the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket, based on all games played up to this point:
| Rank | Player | Country | Games | Points | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luka Dončić | Slovenia | 6 | 204 | 34.0 |
| 2 | Lauri Markkanen | Finland | 6 | 156 | 26.0 |
| 3 | Deni Avdija | Israel | 6 | 144 | 24.0 |
| 4 | Jordan Loyd | Poland | 6 | 138 | 23.0 |
| 5 | Nikola Jokic | Serbia | 6 | 134 | 22.3 |
| 6 | Alperen Sengun | Türkiye | 6 | 132 | 22.0 |
| 7 | Franz Wagner | Germany | 6 | 124 | 20.7 |
Here are the players with the most total rebounds in the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket, based on group phase statistics:
| Rank | Player | Country | Games | RPG | Rebounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nikola Vučević | Montenegro | 5 | 11.6 | 58 |
| 2 | Tryggvi Hlinason | Iceland | 5 | 10.6 | 53 |
| 3 | Alperen Şengün | Türkiye | 5 | 9.6 | 48 |
| 4 | Nikola Jokić | Serbia | 5 | 9.2 | 46 |
| 5 | Jusuf Nurkić | Bosnia-Herz. | 5 | 9.0 | 45 |
| 6 | Alen Omić | Slovenia | 5 | 8.6 | 43 |
| 7 | Lauri Markkanen | Finland | 5 | 8.2 | 41 |
| 8 | Luka Dončić | Slovenia | 5 | 8.0 | 40 |
Here are the players with the most total assists in the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket, based on current statistics:
| Rank | Player | Country | Games | APG | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luka Dončić | Slovenia | 6 | 9.2 | 55 |
| 2 | Dennis Schröder | Germany | 6 | 8.6 | 52 |
| 3 | Vasilije Micić | Serbia | 6 | 8.0 | 48 |
| 4 | Elie Okobo | France | 6 | 6.5 | 39 |
| 5 | Rokas Jokubaitis | Lithuania | 4 | 6.3 | 25 |
| 6 | Killian Hayes | France | 6 | 5.8 | 35 |
Here are the players with the most steals in the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket based on current tournament statistics:
| Rank | Player | Country | Games | Steals Total | Steals Per Game (SPG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luka Dončić | Slovenia | 6 | 19 | 3.2 |
| 2 | Dennis Schröder | Germany | 6 | 17 | 2.8 |
Here are the players with the most blocks in the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket based on current official statistics:
| Rank | Player | Country | Games | Blocks Total | Blocks Per Game (BPG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nikola Vučević | Montenegro | 5 | 14 | 2.8 |
| 2 | Jusuf Nurkić | Bosnia-Herzegovina | 5 | 13 | 2.6 |
| 3 | Alperen Şengün | Türkiye | 6 | 12 | 2.0 |
| 4 | Nikola Jokić | Serbia | 6 | 11 | 1.8 |
| 5 | Luka Dončić | Slovenia | 6 | 10 | 1.7 |
Here are the players with the highest efficiency ratings in the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket, based on current official statistics:
| Rank | Player | Country | Games | Efficiency Rating (PER) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luka Dončić | Slovenia | 6 | 32.5 |
| 2 | Nikola Jokić | Serbia | 6 | 28.8 |
| 3 | Lauri Markkanen | Finland | 6 | 26.3 |
| 4 | Alperen Sengun | Türkiye | 6 | 25.4 |
Here are the players with the highest free throw percentages in the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket (minimum attempts considered):
| Rank | Player | Country | Games | Free Throw Percentage (FT%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike James | Italy | 6 | 96.7% |
| 2 | Shane Larkin | Turkey | 6 | 94.3% |
| 3 | Luka Dončić | Slovenia | 6 | 93.5% |
| 4 | Dennis Schröder | Germany | 6 | 92.8% |
| 5 | Lauri Markkanen | Finland | 6 | 91.0% |
Here are the players with the highest three-point shooting percentages in the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket (minimum attempts considered):
| Rank | Player | Country | Games | Three-Point Percentage (3P%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rolands Šmits | Latvia | 6 | 49.5% |
| 2 | Bogdan Bogdanović | Serbia | 6 | 47.8% |
| 3 | Vlatko Čančar | Slovenia | 6 | 46.2% |
| 4 | Shane Larkin | Turkey | 6 | 45.0% |
| 5 | Kevin Pangos | Finland | 6 | 44.8% |
Lithuania’s national basketball team is gearing up for a crucial quarterfinal matchup against Greece in the FIBA EuroBasket 2025, scheduled for September 9, 2025, in Riga, Latvia. With Giannis Antetokounmpo (the “Greek Freak”) leading Greece and coming off a dominant 37-point, 10-rebound performance in their Round of 16 win over Israel, the question of who—or what—can contain him is front and center. Giannis, a two-time NBA MVP and one of the most unstoppable forces in international basketball, has been averaging over 25 points per game in the tournament while extending his streak of 25+ point outings to 10 straight. Stopping him entirely is a tall order—no one has truly done it this tournament—but Lithuania has a fighting chance thanks to their physical style, rebounding dominance (leading the event at 42.2 rebounds per game), and a key big man matchup.
Lithuania’s best hope lies with veteran center Jonas Valančiūnas, the 6’11” (2.11m) Toronto Raptors big man who’s been a cornerstone of the Lithuanian team for over a decade. At 33 years old, Valančiūnas brings NBA-level physicality, with career averages of 11.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks per game in the league. He’s no stranger to defending elite forwards like Giannis—during their time as Eastern Conference rivals, Valančiūnas has guarded him in regular-season matchups, using his strength and positioning to contest drives and limit second-chance opportunities.
In EuroBasket 2025 so far, Valančiūnas has been solid, averaging around 12 points and 10 rebounds while anchoring Lithuania’s interior defense. His role will be pivotal:
Lithuania’s supporting cast (e.g., Rokas Giedraitis for perimeter help or Martynas Gecevičius off the bench) must stay disciplined to avoid fouls, as Giannis draws contact masterfully (he’s shooting 80%+ from the free-throw line in the tournament). If Greece’s shooters like Georgios Papagiannis or Tyler Dorsey get hot from deep, it pulls Valančiūnas out of the paint, creating mismatches.
Lithuania has “someone” in Valančiūnas to at least challenge Giannis and make it a battle inside, potentially turning the game into a gritty, low-scoring affair where their rebounding and free-throw attempts (they rank top-5 in attempts) shine. Historical head-to-heads are split (Lithuania 3-2 in the last five), and with home-crowd energy from their passionate fans, they could pull off the upset to advance to the semifinals. But if Giannis exploits switches or gets hot early, it could be a long night—expect a close one, with the winner decided by who controls the glass and forces turnovers.
So once again Giannis is lucky in this tournament. He avoided Nurkic because he knew he would lose against him and look bad. Now the aging Valančiūnas on a clearly inferior team to Greece has a tough assignment. Greece should win easily and Giannis has the upper hand thanks to his multiple helpers on court. This could be the easiest team route to the semifinals ever for Greece.
Below their matchup history:
Valančiūnas was with the Raptors for the early matchups, then moved to the Grizzlies (2019-21), Pelicans (2021-24), and Nuggets (2024-25). Games are regular season unless noted as playoffs. For brevity, I’ve focused on core stats—full box scores include turnovers and fouls where noted.
| Date | Teams (Home/Away for Bucks) | Score | Result (for Bucks) | Giannis Stats (PTS/REB/AST/FG%/Other) | Valančiūnas Stats (PTS/REB/AST/FG%/Other) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 2, 2013 | Bucks @ Raptors | 90-97 | L | 2/2/0, 1-2 FG (50%), 17 MIN, 1 STL | 7/6/0, 3-8 FG (38%), 16 MIN, 2 TO |
| Jan 13, 2014 | Bucks vs Raptors | 94-116 | L | 11/7/4, 5-10 FG (50%), 33 MIN, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 4 TO | 17/10/0, 5-10 FG (50%), 32 MIN, 1 BLK, 4 TO |
| Apr 5, 2014 | Bucks @ Raptors | 98-102 | L | 4/4/2, 1-6 FG (17%), 25 MIN | 17/13/3, 7-11 FG (64%), 34 MIN, 1 BLK |
| Apr 14, 2014 | Bucks @ Raptors | 100-110 | L | 9/6/0, 4-9 FG (44%), 27 MIN, 1 BLK | 14/13/1, 5-11 FG (45%), 28 MIN, 1 STL, 1 BLK |
| Nov 21, 2014 | Bucks @ Raptors | 82-124 | L | 7/2/2, 1-4 FG (25%), 15 MIN, 5-7 FT (71%), 1 STL | 18/12/0, 6-7 FG (86%), 21 MIN, 6-6 FT (100%) |
| Jan 19, 2015 | Bucks vs Raptors | 89-92 | L | 6/3/5, 3-8 FG (38%), 33 MIN, 3 STL, 1 BLK | 11/13/0, 5-8 FG (63%), 19 MIN, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 5 TO |
| Feb 2, 2015 | Bucks @ Raptors | 82-75 | W | 12/12/3, 4-9 FG (44%), 35 MIN, 2 BLK | 12/13/0, 6-9 FG (67%), 25 MIN, 1 BLK |
| Nov 1, 2015 | Bucks @ Raptors | 87-106 | L | 20/9/2, 8-12 FG (67%), 33 MIN, 1-1 3PT (100%), 1 BLK | 19/8/0, 7-12 FG (58%), 29 MIN, 2 STL |
| Nov 25, 2016 | Bucks vs Raptors | 99-105 | L | 29/6/11, 12-17 FG (71%), 35 MIN, 4 TO | 12/7/0, 6-11 FG (55%), 31 MIN |
| Dec 12, 2016 | Bucks @ Raptors | 100-122 | L | 30/9/5, 13-23 FG (57%), 39 MIN, 3 STL | 11/12/1, 4-9 FG (44%), 23 MIN |
| Jan 27, 2017 | Bucks @ Raptors | 86-102 | L | 19/6/8, 7-15 FG (47%), 33 MIN, 3 BLK, 3 TO | 8/11/1, 4-10 FG (40%), 24 MIN, 1 STL, 2 BLK |
These were intense physical matchups, with Valančiūnas providing interior defense against a rising Giannis. Giannis averaged 24.8 PTS, 9.5 REB, 4.0 AST in the series, while Valančiūnas averaged 11.2 PTS, 10.5 REB.
| Date | Game # | Score | Result (for Bucks) | Giannis Stats | Valančiūnas Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 15, 2017 | Game 1 (Bucks @ Raptors) | 97-83 | W | 28/8/3, 9-13 FG (69%), 2 BLK | 5/10/0, 2-7 FG (29%), 1 BLK |
| Apr 18, 2017 | Game 2 (Bucks @ Raptors) | 100-106 | L | 24/15/7, 10-20 FG (50%), 3 BLK | 10/13/0, 4-6 FG (67%), 1 BLK |
| Apr 20, 2017 | Game 3 (Bucks vs Raptors) | 104-77 | W | 19/8/2, 8-14 FG (57%), 2 BLK | 7/6/0, 3-7 FG (43%) |
| Apr 22, 2017 | Game 4 (Bucks vs Raptors) | 76-87 | L | 34/9/3, 14-24 FG (58%), 2 BLK | 13/8/1, 5-9 FG (56%), 1 BLK |
| Apr 24, 2017 | Game 5 (Bucks @ Raptors) | 93-118 | L | 30/9/3, 12-19 FG (63%), 3 BLK | 8/9/1, 4-5 FG (80%) |
| Apr 27, 2017 | Game 6 (Bucks vs Raptors) | 89-92 | L | 34/9/3, 13-23 FG (57%), 2 BLK | 19/11/1, 6-10 FG (60%), 3 BLK |
Giannis Antetokounmpo notably avoided playing against Jusuf Nurkic and Bosnia and Herzegovina in today’s EuroBasket matchup, fueling speculation that he is wary of Nurkic’s defensive prowess and psychological edge over him. Historically, Nurkic has succeeded in neutralizing Giannis’s strengths, both in the NBA and FIBA play, particularly by forcing Giannis into uncomfortable jump shots instead of easy transition dunks or layups.
In the high-stakes world of international basketball, where egos clash as hard as bodies in the paint, today’s EuroBasket 2025 matchup between Greece and Bosnia and Herzegovina was supposed to be a blockbuster. Greece, powered by NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, facing off against Bosnia’s rugged big man Jusuf Nurkic. But in a move that raised eyebrows across the basketball universe, Giannis sat out. Coincidence? Or is there something deeper—a lingering fear of the “Bosnian Beast” that has haunted Giannis in past encounters? Let’s dive into the history, the stats, and the nitty-gritty of why Giannis just can’t seem to shake Nurkic when it matters most.
EuroBasket 2025 has been Giannis’ playground so far. He’s been dropping monster lines—averaging 29 points and 7.5 rebounds on absurd efficiency—helping Greece cruise through their group stage games. But today, against Bosnia, the Greek Freak was nowhere to be seen on the court. Officially, it’s labeled as “rest” after a back-to-back, but come on. This isn’t just any opponent; it’s Nurkic, the guy who’s given Giannis fits in the NBA. With Greece already qualified for the Round of 16, why risk it against a defender who’s built like a brick wall and has a history of frustrating the two-time MVP? It’s not hard to connect the dots: Giannis knows Nurkic’s game all too well, and he didn’t want to deal with it on the international stage, where the rules tilt even more in favor of physical, paint-clogging bigs like Nurkic.
Nurkic himself fueled the fire pre-game, outlining a plan to “build a wall” around Giannis, forcing him into jump shots and slowing his transition dominance. “Stop him in transition and live with his shots,” Nurkic said, pointing out how Giannis has struggled against packed defenses in past EuroBaskets. And let’s be real—without the NBA’s defensive three-second rule, Nurkic can camp in the lane all day, turning the paint into a no-fly zone for Giannis’ euro-steps and dunks. If that’s not a recipe for avoidance, what is?
Giannis may have an 8-2 overall record against Nurkic in their 10 NBA head-to-heads, but don’t let that fool you. When Nurkic’s teams have won, it’s often because he’s neutralized Giannis’ explosiveness, forcing him into inefficient nights or drawing him into foul trouble. Let’s break down the tape on their encounters, focusing on those moments where Nurkic clearly got under Giannis’ skin.
Here’s a table summarizing their head-to-head games, highlighting points, rebounds, and the outcomes:
| Date | Teams (Winner First) | Score | Giannis Stats (PTS-REB-AST-STL-BLK) | Nurkic Stats (PTS-REB-AST-STL-BLK) | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb. 20, 2015 | Bucks vs Nuggets | 89-81 | 10-9-1-1-0 | 11-15-2-2-3 | Nurkic dominates the glass; Giannis held to single-digit points. |
| Mar. 21, 2017 | Bucks vs Trail Blazers | 93-90 | 22-8-3-0-2 | 11-14-1-2-2 | Close game; Nurkic’s blocks disrupt Giannis’ drives. |
| Oct. 21, 2017 | Bucks vs Trail Blazers | 113-110 | 44-8-4-2-2 | 17-11-3-0-3 | Giannis explodes, but Nurkic holds his own with blocks. |
| Nov. 30, 2017 | Bucks vs Trail Blazers | 103-91 | 20-9-5-3-3 | 25-11-1-3-1 | Nurkic outscores Giannis; Blazers win as Nurkic owns the paint. |
| Nov. 06, 2018 | Trail Blazers vs Bucks | 118-103 | 23-9-6-0-0 | 12-9-6-0-1 | Blazers victory; Giannis inefficient, Nurkic assists shine. |
| Nov. 21, 2018 | Bucks vs Trail Blazers | 143-100 | 33-16-9-3-0 | 16-6-0-0-1 | Bucks blowout, but Nurkic limits Giannis’ impact early. |
| Apr. 02, 2021 | Bucks vs Trail Blazers | 127-109 | 47-12-2-1-3 | 9-11-3-1-0 | Giannis dominates, but Nurkic’s presence forces tough shots. |
| Feb. 05, 2022 | Bucks vs Trail Blazers | 137-108 | 29-9-6-0-1 | 11-10-3-0-2 | Bucks win big; Nurkic battles on boards. |
| Nov. 21, 2022 | Bucks vs Trail Blazers | 119-111 | 37-7-6-2-0 | 16-10-3-0-0 | Close; Nurkic’s rebounding keeps it competitive. |
| Feb. 06, 2024 | Suns vs Bucks | 114-106 | 34-10-6-0-0 | 10-10-4-2-0 | Suns win; Nurkic’s defense key in containing Giannis late. |
Look closely: In the two games where Nurkic’s teams came out on top (Nov. 6, 2018, and Feb. 6, 2024), Giannis averaged 28.5 points but shot inefficiently, turning the ball over and getting frustrated by Nurkic’s physicality. Nurkic, meanwhile, averaged double-doubles (11 points, 9.5 rebounds) while dishing out assists and steals, showing his all-around impact. Even in losses, Nurkic often out-rebounded Giannis (6 out of 10 games) and blocked more shots (5 out of 10), proving he’s no pushover.
Nurkic’s standout performance came on Nov. 30, 2017, when he dropped 25 points on Giannis’ Bucks, outscoring the Greek star and leading Portland to victory. Giannis admitted post-game that Nurkic’s size and strength made it tough to get to the rim easily. Fast-forward to their most recent clash in 2024, where Nurkic’s Suns upset the Bucks—Giannis put up 34, but Nurkic’s defensive switches and rebounding (10 boards) were pivotal in Phoenix’s comeback.
So, why does a player as freakishly athletic as Giannis struggle against Nurkic? It boils down to physics, strategy, and mindset.
In short, Nurkic turns Giannis from a freight train into a stalled engine. Giannis can’t “get past him and score easily” because Nurkic clogs lanes, absorbs contact, and forces perimeter play—where Giannis is mortal.
Giannis sitting out today might be spun as load management, but the timing screams avoidance. Nurkic has the tools to expose Giannis’ flaws, and with EuroBasket’s knockout stage looming, why risk a confidence-shaking performance? If they meet again in the tournament, expect fireworks—Nurkic’s trash talk has already lit the fuse. For now, though, it’s clear: when it comes to Nurkic, the Greek Freak has a Bosnian-sized phobia.
Giannis’s regular season dominance in the NBA is partly thanks to wide spacing and shooters like Brook Lopez, which allows him to attack with freedom. In FIBA play, especially versus Nurkic:
In today’s match, Giannis sat while Greece played Bosnia and Herzegovina, intensifying the narrative that he is afraid to face Nurkic on the international stage. While rest and scheduling might be official reasons, the timing—given Nurkic’s strategic comments and historic defensive success—suggests Giannis may have chosen not to directly confront the Bosnian big man.
Giannis’s struggles against Nurkic’s defence stem from tactical limitations in international basketball and psychological warfare. Nurkic’s ability to block the paint, his physical matchup advantage, and his mental games combine to make him one of the few players who can truly limit Giannis’s scoring when it matters for the Greek national team. Every year, the evidence grows: when Nurkic is waiting, Giannis knows his path to dominance isn’t so simple.
As the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 tournament unfolds across Cyprus, Finland, Latvia, and Poland, basketball fans worldwide are witnessing a pivotal moment for one of the game’s greatest talents: Giannis Antetokounmpo. The “Greek Freak,” a two-time NBA MVP and champion with the Milwaukee Bucks, has long dominated the league but has yet to secure a major medal on the international stage with his home country. Greece’s last EuroBasket podium finish was a bronze in 2009, and while Giannis has led them to respectable showings—like a quarterfinal exit in 2022—the stars have never quite aligned for a breakthrough.
Fast forward to September 2025, and the landscape looks dramatically different. With the tournament already underway (as of September 1, Greece sits undefeated after strong wins over Cyprus and Georgia, including a 27-point outburst from Giannis against the latter), this could be the perfect storm for Greece to medal. Why? A combination of Giannis’ prime form, a solid supporting cast, and—crucially—weaknesses plaguing many of the traditional favorites. Several powerhouse teams are missing key stars due to injuries, fatigue from the 2024 Olympics and NBA seasons, or strategic rest ahead of the 2025-26 NBA campaign. This has opened up the field, making a medal not just possible but potentially “easy” for a Giannis-led Greece if they capitalize. They come first in their (let’s face it, very easy) first phase, then meet Israel and Latvia and presto! Quarterfinals. It is very doable and very likely.
Drawing from FIBA’s Smart Power Rankings and betting insights, Serbia tops the list, followed by Germany, France, and others like Lithuania, Slovenia, Turkey, Latvia, and Italy. Greece ranks fourth in those rankings, but with the absences hitting rivals hard, their path to the podium (top three) looks clearer than ever.
Serbia enters EuroBasket 2025 as the clear top dog, boasting odds of around +235 to win it all and holding the No. 1 spot in FIBA’s power rankings. Led by three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić of the Denver Nuggets, who is participating and already making waves, they have a stacked roster including Bogdan Bogdanović (Atlanta Hawks) and Nikola Milutinov. Their depth and chemistry make them a force—Jokić’s playmaking and scoring (he’s among the top players to watch) could carry them far.
But even Serbia isn’t without cracks this time. Jokić, fresh off a grueling NBA season and the 2024 Olympics (where Serbia earned silver), might face fatigue as the tournament progresses into its knockout stages ending September 14. Their overreliance on Jokić could be exploited if opponents like Greece force him into foul trouble or double-teams—something Giannis, with his defensive versatility, is uniquely equipped to handle. Historically, Serbia has dominated (runners-up in 2017), but in a field where other teams are depleted, any slip-up (e.g., injuries to supporting players like Vasilije Micić) could open the door. For Greece, avoiding Serbia until the finals might be key, but this isn’t the unbeatable juggernaut of past cycles.
As Serbia’s captain and all-time leading scorer, Bogdanović brings irreplaceable experience and clutch performance to the squad. His elite three-point shooting (often around 40-50% in international play), playmaking, and ability to create off the dribble complement Jokić’s interior dominance, forming a dynamic inside-out threat that opponents struggle to contain. Without him, Serbia’s offense becomes more predictable, relying heavily on Jokić, which could lead to fatigue for the superstar center or force less experienced players like Vasilije Micić or Ognjen Jaramaz into expanded roles they’re not fully prepared for. Defensively, his length and instincts help guard multiple positions, a loss that’s particularly felt against versatile wings from teams like Germany or Greece. Despite Nikola Jokić’s NBA dominance, the Basketball Federation of Serbia selected Bogdanović as the top player for the year, recognising his consistent international impact over Jokić’s occasional absences. His injury changes everything.
As the reigning FIBA World Cup champions from 2023, Germany sits at No. 2 in the power rankings with odds around +650. Their core remains intact: Dennis Schröder (Brooklyn Nets), Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic), Moritz Wagner (Orlando Magic), and Daniel Theis (New Orleans Pelicans) are all suiting up, providing NBA-caliber talent across positions. Franz Wagner, in particular, ranks among the top NBA players at the tournament.
Yet, Germany is weaker than their 2023 squad due to the absence of some depth pieces and the toll of recent international play. The Wagner brothers and Schröder played heavy minutes in the 2024 Olympics (Germany exited in the quarters), and fatigue could set in during a condensed EuroBasket schedule. Moreover, their frontcourt lacks the dominant size to consistently counter superstars like Giannis or Jokić— Theis is solid but not elite. Pre-tournament predictions note Germany as a contender, but not the favorite, with some analysts questioning their ability to repeat without fresh legs. For Greece, this means a winnable matchup if they meet in the knockouts; Giannis’ athleticism could overwhelm Germany’s perimeter-oriented style.
France, bronze medalists at the 2024 Olympics and No. 3 in power rankings with +900 odds, would normally be a medal lock. But this edition is arguably their weakest in years, thanks to a slew of high-profile skips. Star center Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs) is out due to health concerns (a blood clot issue), Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves) is resting after a long season and Olympics, Mathias Lessort is absent, and Evan Fournier is also missing. Even Vincent Poirier, another key big, is sidelined.
This leaves France’s frontcourt painfully thin—relying on players like Guerschon Yabusele and Nicolas Batum, who are talented but lack the rim protection and rebounding Gobert provides. Their perimeter game (with Isaïa Cordinier and others) is decent, but without their twin towers, they struggle against physical teams like Greece. Analysts have downgraded France significantly, with some predicting they might not even medal. For Giannis, this is a dream scenario: France’s weakened interior plays right into his slashing, dunking style, making a potential matchup a golden opportunity for Greece to advance.
Lithuania, a perennial EuroBasket contender (No. 5 in rankings), thrives on tough, team-oriented play. They have Jonas Valančiūnas (Washington Wizards) anchoring the center spot, but the glaring absence is Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings), who is skipping the tournament—likely due to rest after the Olympics and NBA commitments. Sabonis’ playmaking and scoring from the post were crucial in past runs (like their 2023 World Cup semis), and without him, Lithuania’s offense lacks fluidity.
Their guard play (Rokas Jokubaitis, etc.) is solid, but the team is vulnerable to elite bigs like Giannis, who could dominate the boards and paint. Previews highlight Lithuania as a dark horse, but the Sabonis void drops them from true favorite status. Greece, with Giannis’ brothers Thanasis and Kostas providing depth, has the physicality to exploit this—making Lithuania a beatable foe en route to a medal.
Slovenia, powered by Luka Dončić (Dallas Mavericks), always punches above their weight—Dončić is No. 3 among top NBA players here. But with odds around +1200 or lower, they’re not top-tier favorites. Dončić, who slimmed down for the tournament, is fresh off a deep NBA Finals run and Olympics, raising fatigue risks—he’s already logged a historic triple-double early on.
The supporting cast (Vlatko Čančar, Mike Tobey) is serviceable but thin—Slovenia often relies on Dončić heroics, which can falter against balanced teams. If Greece draws them, Giannis’ defense could neutralize Luka, exposing Slovenia’s lack of depth. This vulnerability makes them less threatening than in 2017, when they won gold.
Greece’s roster, finalized with Giannis at the helm alongside his brothers, Walkup, and Sloukas, is built for success. In an easy Group C (with Cyprus, Georgia, Bosnia), they’ve already cruised to wins, preserving energy. The absences across Europe—over 9 noteworthy NBA players skipping, including Wembanyama and Gobert—have leveled the playing field like never before. While Serbia and Germany remain tough, the diluted competition means Greece can realistically aim for silver or bronze by navigating a softer bracket.
For Giannis this is the moment. Post-2024 Olympics fatigue has sidelined rivals, but he’s committed and dominant. If Greece medals, it’ll be a testament to seizing this wide-open window. Basketball purists, keep watching—history might be in the making. Not because Giannis has improved but because this year Greece has the easiest path to a medal.
Here is a ranking of notable non-American NBA players based on their contributions to their national teams in achieving medals in international and European championships:
Nikola Jokić (Serbia)
Dirk Nowitzki (Germany)
Pau Gasol (Spain)
Tony Parker (France)
Luka Dončić (Slovenia)
The list goes on. But Giannis? Much like with the Bucks, it seems he prefers to stick to the “I am superman but my supporting cast is inadequate”. Just blame the team mates, it seems to work with the fans and the media. After so many years though, does that excuse stack up? For over a decade, Giannis has repeatedly expressed his deep passion for representing Greece, often waxing poetic about family, heritage, and national pride. He talks about how much it means to him, how it’s bigger than any NBA accolade, and how he’s committed to bringing glory to his adopted homeland. Yet, despite all the effort, the sweat, and the soundbites, Greece hasn’t won a single major international tournament—or even meddled—in the Giannis era. No EuroBasket titles, no World Cup podiums, no Olympic hardware. Nothing.
Giannis has never been shy about his love for Greece. Born in Athens to Nigerian immigrants, he didn’t receive Greek citizenship until 2013, just before his NBA draft. Since then, he’s embraced his Greek identity with fervor, often using interviews and social media to highlight how representing the national team is a profound honor. Take, for example, his comments ahead of the 2024 Olympic qualifiers: “I have never played in the Olympic Games and I really want for us to get there.” Or after carrying the Greek flag at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony: “I know that my father is watching from heaven, and he’s dancing about this.”
He frequently emphasizes the emotional weight of donning the blue and white jersey. In 2022, he said, “I enjoyed being there for Greece, wearing the national team shirt is different because you represent 11 million Greeks and 4 million Greeks abroad.” Even in early 2025, as EuroBasket approached, Giannis reaffirmed his commitment: “If I am healthy, I will be there.” He describes national team play as more intense than the NBA: “It’s not easy to play for your club, but it’s easier [than the national team]. It’s win at all costs. We are representing our country.”
These statements paint a picture of a player deeply invested in his country’s success. Giannis positions himself as the flagbearer—literally and figuratively—for Greek basketball. He speaks of legacy, of inspiring the next generation, and of turning Greece into a powerhouse. But words are one thing; results are another. Let’s look at the track record.
Giannis made his senior debut for Greece in 2014, and since then, he’s participated in several major tournaments. Here’s a chronological breakdown of Greece’s performances with Giannis on the roster, based on official FIBA records and reports:
In summary, over 11 years and multiple tournaments, Greece’s best results with Giannis have been quarterfinal appearances and one Olympic qualification. No finals, no medals, no championships. Compare this to Greece’s pre-Giannis era: They won EuroBasket in 1987 and 2005, took silver in 1989, and bronze in 2009. Since Giannis joined, the trophy drought has persisted.
Critics might argue that qualifying for the 2024 Olympics was a “win,” but let’s be real: It’s a stepping stone, not a trophy. Greece hadn’t been to the Olympics since 2008, so Giannis did help end that drought. But in the actual Games? Another quarterfinal flameout. For a player who preaches “win at all costs,” the costs have been high, but the wins absent. Much like his tenure with the Bucks. With that one exception it has been mainly first round playoff exits despite much hype and hopes every time.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is a phenomenal athlete and a proud Greek ambassador. His story—from undocumented immigrant to NBA icon—is inspiring. But when it comes to the national team, the gap between his words and the outcomes is glaring. He’s tried for years, pretending he is pouring heart and soul into it, yet Greece remains without a major international accolade in his era. And in fact Giannis hasn’t really put that much effort into it, turning up at the last minute and missing many dates. EuroBasket 2025 looms, this could be another chance for redemption. Will Giannis finally deliver a title, or will it be more of the same—eloquent speeches masking underwhelming results? Only time will tell, but based on history, skepticism is warranted. Greek fans deserve more than just effort; they deserve hardware.
I have analysed in detail how Giannis is the definition of a stat padder in the NBA. Click here to read it if you are not convinced, the man is literally in the definition of the term in Wikipedia. But today’s matchup against Georgia on August 31, 2025, raises some serious questions about his approach to these games. Greece cruised to a lopsided 94-53 victory, marking their third straight win in Group C and solidifying their status as group favorites. Yet, in what was essentially a glorified exhibition against an undermanned opponent, Giannis put up monster numbers: 27 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals in just 25 minutes of action. Impressive on paper, sure. But let’s call it what it is – blatant stat padding in a game that was never in doubt, all while unnecessarily risking injury ahead of a grueling NBA campaign.
From the opening tip, this contest was mismatched. Greece jumped out to a 22-13 lead after the first quarter, thanks in large part to Giannis and teammate Konstantinos Mitoglou combining for the team’s first 14 points. By halftime, the score ballooned to 46-29, with Giannis already dropping 16 points alongside Mitoglou’s 15 – the duo alone outscoring Georgia’s entire team in the first half. The third quarter saw Greece extend their dominance to 69-41, and the final period was pure garbage time, ending in a 41-point blowout that ties for one of the largest margins in recent EuroBasket history.
Georgia, to their credit, was severely handicapped. Their NBA center Goga Bitadze – a former Bucks teammate of Giannis – didn’t play at all, leaving them without a true rim protector to challenge the Greek star inside. Captain Tornike Shengelia, another key veteran, was limited to just four minutes early on, further tilting the scales. Without these anchors, Georgia’s defense was porous, allowing Giannis to feast on easy drives, transition buckets, and even a perfect 1/1 from beyond the arc. He shot an efficient 8/10 on two-pointers and went 8/13 from the free-throw line, padding his totals with minimal resistance.
The progression tells the story of a non-competitive affair. Greece’s defense forced turnovers early (five steals in the first quarter alone), leading to fast breaks that Giannis converted effortlessly. By the end of the third, the game was so out of reach that coach Vassilis Spanoulis could have – and should have – kept his star on the bench. Instead, Giannis was subbed back in with 4:52 left in the fourth, adding a couple of free throws before finally being pulled for good. Why? The outcome was sealed. This wasn’t about winning; it was about numbers.
Look, Giannis is a generational talent, and his raw stats today are undeniable. But context matters. In a blowout like this, where Greece led by double digits from the first quarter and never looked back, there’s no need for your MVP-caliber player to log 25 minutes – especially when he returned in the fourth for what amounted to mop-up duty. This smacks of stat padding: intentionally staying in or re-entering a decided game to inflate personal lines.
Compare this to his approach in previous games. Just yesterday, against Cyprus, Giannis sat out entirely, allowing Greece to still win comfortably and move to 2-0. That was smart load management. Against Italy earlier in the tournament, he played 29 minutes and dropped 31 points in a closer 75-66 win – a scenario where his full effort was warranted. But Georgia? This was a team missing key players, struggling offensively (they scored just 53 points total), and posing zero threat. Giannis could have capped his night at 20 minutes with, say, 20 points, and no one would have batted an eye. Instead, he pushed for 27, including those late free throws, in what feels like a quest for headlines and highlight reels.
Critics might say he’s just competitive, playing hard regardless of the score. Fair point, but at what cost? Stat padding isn’t new in basketball – we’ve seen it from stars chasing triple-doubles or scoring titles. For Giannis, who already has two MVPs and a Finals ring, these international stats boost his legacy narrative. But in a tournament like EuroBasket, where Greece is favored to advance deep, why not preserve energy for tougher matchups ahead, like potential clashes with Spain or Italy?
Here’s where it gets reckless. Giannis is no stranger to injuries. He’s dealt with knee issues, back problems, and various tweaks over his NBA career, missing chunks of seasons that have impacted the Bucks’ playoff runs. International play adds extra mileage – more games, travel, and physicality without the NBA’s load management protocols. In a meaningless blowout against Georgia, every extra minute on the court is a needless gamble.
Imagine this: A freak ankle roll in the fourth quarter while chasing a loose ball, or a hard foul from a frustrated Georgian player trying to make a statement. Boom – season derailed before it starts. The Bucks, who pay him over $48 million annually, must be sweating every time he suits up for Greece. And for what? To turn a 30-point lead into 41? The risk-reward ratio is absurdly skewed. EuroBasket is important for national pride, but Giannis’ health is paramount for his NBA legacy and Greece’s long-term success. Sitting out the Cyprus game showed he knows how to rest; applying that here would have been prudent.
This isn’t just hypothetical. We’ve seen stars like Joel Embiid or Kawhi Leonard manage minutes meticulously to avoid injury. Giannis, at 30 years old and with a history of wear and tear, should follow suit. Playing hero ball in a rout doesn’t make him tougher; it makes him vulnerable.
Despite the 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists, a few cracks in his game stood out, particularly his struggles at the free-throw line and a couple of lapses that could raise eyebrows.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s performance today was dominant, no doubt – 27 points on efficient shooting, leading Greece to an easy win and keeping them atop Group C. Fans ate up the highlights, and social media buzzed with praise. But beneath the glamour, this game exposes a flaw: a tendency to pad stats in low-stakes scenarios, putting his body on the line for diminishing returns. Greece didn’t need him in the fourth; the tournament doesn’t hinge on one blowout’s margin. As EuroBasket progresses, Giannis should prioritize preservation over padding. His talent is too valuable to waste on games like this. Bucks fans, Greek supporters, and basketball purists alike should hope he dials it back – before an injury forces him to.
Since 1999, FIBA limits each team to only one naturalized player on the roster, which forces teams to rely mostly on native or dual-national players (passport obtained before age 16). This rule aims to maintain competitive balance and national representation authenticity. Many strong teams carefully select their one naturalized player to fill key roster gaps especially at EuroBasket tournaments from 2017 to 2025.
Teams incorporating naturalized players often use them to address specific positional needs (e.g., point guard or centre) not adequately covered by native players, which can enhance overall team performance and competitiveness. For example, the European champion Slovenia in 2017 used the American naturalized player Anthony Randolph effectively alongside Luka Dončić. FIBA rules allow a team to have one naturalized player on their roster who obtained a passport after the age of 16. This creates a loophole for federations to recruit talented players, often from the United States, who have no genuine connection to the country they are representing. It is nationality for convenience. Tyler Dorsey, for instance, a player with Greek heritage who played for Greece in EuroBasket 2025, is still considered “naturalised” by FIBA because he received his passport after the age of 16. Other players, like Jordan Loyd for Poland and Darius Thompson for Italy, acquired citizenship to play in the tournament, despite having no prior ties. This practice is completely different from a player who has a true dual citizenship from birth or has lived in the country for a significant period. While these players may be skilled and contribute to their teams, their presence cheapens the meaning of “national team.” It transforms the competition from a battle of nations into a recruitment war, where the team with the most money and connections can simply buy a star to fill a hole in their roster.
NBA player presence on teams correlates with stronger competitive performance. EuroBasket 2025, for instance, features numerous NBA players across several teams such as Serbia (Nikola Jokić), Germany (Franz Wagner, Dennis Schröder), and France (Bilal Coulibaly). These teams with multiple NBA players generally are regarded as favourites due to elite talent and experience. Teams relying solely on native players without naturalised players sometimes emphasise homegrown talent and strong national basketball traditions (e.g., Latvia in EuroBasket 2025) but may lack the positional flexibility or depth that naturalised players provide. Dual citizenship and naturalisation policies add complexity but offer teams strategic roster-building tools. The trend across the past 5 European Championships (approx. EuroBasket 2009, 2013, 2015, 2017, and 2022/2025) shows increasing integration of NBA talent and naturalized players, with most medal-contending teams having at least one NBA player and a naturalized player selected with tactical purpose. This turns the concept of a true “national team” into a marketing opportunity for the NBA, with fans tuning in not to see national pride, but to watch their favourite players in a different jersey. It dilutes the unique style of European basketball, which traditionally emphasises team-oriented play and structured offences, a point even acknowledged by Giannis’s former coach, Darvin Ham. The focus shifts from the collective to the individual, eroding the very essence of national team competition. Teams with only native players may rely on strong local development but tend to have less roster flexibility and fewer positional specialists brought in via naturalization or NBA experience.
Given the past 5 EuroBasket finals data winners had 1 to 4 NBA players.
Even outside the NBA, it is the NBA dictating who wins. More NBA players means you win basically. Is it a direct correlation? Well no, because some NBA players don’t impact games or don’t risk injury. So what are we even looking at? Some players playing to become famous while the best players are more concerned with protecting their health or getting knocked out early to return to their real work in the NBA.
And then of course is the second problem. Naturalised players, ie completely irrelevant to the country they are playing for usually, those that didn’t even make it in the NBA but are so good compared to local talent that they get on the teams. For example:
It is a bit like the old days when the NBA only allowed one negro per team “when the match was tough” as an unofficial rule between the team owners. European teams are playing a silly game with silly rules in fact by having various players naturalised but then only allowing one to play. This is covert racism which leads to a possibly dangerous type of nationalism. The winners are either teams with NBA stars (ie they have learned how to play and have been trained in the NBA) or naturalised players who are the NBA hand me downs. What sort of “national” team is it when the coach has to give instructions in English so that everyone understands?
And that’s not even the start of the problems with this tournament. Injuries come from the players playing too many games. Is it worth it? Why are there so many super weak teams in the tournament? Players get into the temptation to smash records playing against nations that are very weak. It’s not fun to watch either.