Sacrificing his country and family: NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo, with a destiny worthy of a film – and moreover brought to the screen – intends to embellish his history a little more at Eurobasket-2022 where he is aiming for a first title with Greece, alongside two of his brothers, Kostas and Thanasis, on the floor.
“In ten to fifteen years, we will be saying ‘Wow!’ We will be able to tell the same stories by sharing the same emotion, it’s unique “, savored in a press conference the “Greek Freak”, received five out of five with Greece, undefeated in the group stage and qualified for the round of 16 .
With his brothers of Nigerian origin, he can write in the final phase of this Eurobasket-2022 in Berlin a new page in his life, a life that already has the allure of a myth. That of a stateless street vendor in Athens who has become arguably the best basketball player in the world. In any case, the one who has collected the greatest titles: NBA champion (2021), Finals MVP (2021) and double regular season MVP (2019 and 2020).
At only 27 years old, he has already seen his epic immortalized in a biopic, “Rise”, produced and released this summer by Disney on its platform.
Cinderella without a pumpkin but with an orange ball that he handles like no other, Giannis Antetokounmpo hovers over this Euro. Top scorer of the tournament, with nearly 30 points per game (29.5), among the best rebounders (9), the monument of the Milwaukee Bucks multiplies the monstrous matches. Like his 41 points stacked against Ukraine.
A sequence synthesizes his entire grip on the game. When, in his first match, against Croatia, he countered a shot from Clippers pivot Ivica Zubac, before concluding an alley-oop with a furious dunk, back to the basket. All its impact on both sides of the parquet summarized.
Three years after a discreet 2019 World Cup, left in the second round, the NBA superstar proves that she also shines in international basketball. And with its N.34, Greece covets a first title since 2005, if not a first medal since 2009. For that, it will be necessary to start by dismissing the Czech Republic on Sunday.
Slight sprain
With Giannis? The Greek hero has an Achilles heel: his right ankle, sprained Thursday against Estonia. “Slight sprain”, according to his Federation. “Everything is fine,” assured his coach, Dimitris Itoudis, at a press conference.
A combination of circumstances, the injury, having deprived him of almost the entire second half against Estonia, coincided with the first minutes played by his brother, Kostas (born in 1997).
The eldest Antetokounmpo basketball player, Thanasis (born in 1992), played all five matches (for almost 13 minutes on average). The eldest of all the siblings, Francis, born in 1988 in Nigeria, was a football player.
“Very proud” parents
“I know my mum and dad are very proud of us,” Giannis said. “Alex (his fourth brother, born in 2001 Ed), too. I hope he will progress, improve and be called upon to help us be even stronger. »
Aged 21, Alex joined the Bucks G-League franchise this summer – the minor league of American basketball – like Thanasis before him, who became a regular backup player for the Bucks (48 games played last year and 10 minutes average on the floor).
As for Kostas, he is free to join the club of his choice after his season in France at Asvel. In the meantime, the ex-Villeurbannais is enjoying the tournament: “How many times have you seen that in a national team? “, he savors with Fiba. “It’s really special and I really cherish those moments and that experience.”
“It’s an honor to be able to share the land with, literally, my brothers, describes Thanasis. And with my other brothers, all together. »
