After missing the FIBA 2023 World Cup, where Greece finished in a disappointing 15th place, Antetokounmpo returned to national duty for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Piraeus, where he guided his nation back to the Olympic Games after a 12-year absence by securing a spot at Paris 2024. Greece finished a respectable 8th in France, and arrived at EuroBasket 2025 as an outside contender for a podium spot—an understandable label given Greece have not won a medal of any kind at any major competition since the aforementioned EuroBasket 2009.
But after winning Group C with a 4-1 record and eliminating Israel and now Lithuania in the knockout rounds, there is a growing belief that Greece can not only finish on the podium, but claim a third EuroBasket crown and first since 2005.
Such hope wouldn’t be possible without the presence of Antetokounmpo; the 2021 NBA champion has been one of the major stars of the competition, ranking second in points per game (29.8), joint-fourth in rebounds (9), and joint-second in efficiency.
Facing constant double and triple-teams, the 2.11m (6-foot-11) behemoth has been adept at finding open teammates for spot-up three-pointers (Greece rank third in the category at 39.1 per cent). When he isn’t swarmed, Antetokounmpo has been content to take mid-range jumpers, or simply collect a defensive rebound and thunder down the court for a dunk, forcing defenders out of his way in the process.