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?
