Giannis Antetokounmpo named what sets Vasilis Spanoulis apart from all the coaches he's had. The 'Greek Freak' recalled a painful memory from 2016, addressed the differences between NBA and FIBA basketball and explained why he's not eager to embrace a certain aspect of the Greek mentality.
The Greek national team has returned to the Olympic Games after 16 years. Following their win over Croatia (80-69) in the final game of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Piraeus, the team coached by Vasilis Spanoulis will make the trip to Paris and Lille for the big event.
| Player of the Game | |
|
EFF
19
|
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | |
| Points | 23 |
| Accuracy | 8-17 |
| Rebounds | 8 |
| Assists | 3 |
Giannis Antetokounmpo made the difference as he was the top scorer in the tournament's concluding game with 23 points, winning himself MVP honors. The 29-year-old superstar scored 32 points against the Dominican Republic, 13 vs. Slovenia, and sat out the game Greece won against Egypt for resting purposes.
"We knew that we had the opportunity to do something we hadn't done for years. We came in, knowing we had 4 finals to play. I'm happy about how the games went," Giannis said in his opening remarks in the postgame presser.
"We're very hungry as a team," the Milwaukee Bucks star continued.
"The atmosphere is unbelievable. Everybody's having fun with one another, everybody's locked in, and know their roles. We have an extremely good leader. Coach Vasilis Spanoulis puts that fire in our bellies and gives us the best tactic to compete," Giannis praised his coach.
"Now, going into the Olympics, I think the best athletes in the world will compete there. We have nothing to lose. We just have to play Greek basketball and give everything that we have, no matter who we play against. I believe we have an incredible team and that we can accomplish something special," Antetokounmpo added.
In the final game, Giannis saw 12,000 fans shout his name. While entering the locker room, the 2-time NBA MVP burst into tears. His brother Thanasis was there to hug him and share his feelings with the 'Greek Freak.'
"It's incredible," Giannis commented.
"I didn't think you could have written a better scenario today. Having one of the best players, maybe my idol, help this team and lead it to victory. Having my teammates, who have been great guys, wanting to do something memorable, doing it in our house, with our families here, with such a fanbase, it's an incredible feeling. You just got to take this feeling and have it in our minds," he stressed.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
| Team: |
Milwaukee Bucks Greece |
| Position: | PF |
| Age: | 29 |
| Height: | 211 cm |
| Weight: | 98 kg |
| Birth place: | Athens, Greece |
With Spanoulis sitting next to him, Giannis was asked what he learned from the EuroLeague legend who is now returning to the Olympics as a play-caller and not a player as he did in 2008, when Greece last played in the main event "All the coaches I've had in the national team were incredible as coaches and minds and I respect them very much," Antetokounmpo said.
"But coach Spanoulis is a winner and you can't teach that. It's either you're a winner or you're not. He wants to win more than us. You should have seen him in today's shootaround. He was literally running up and down. You could have given him a jersey and he could have played the game," Giannis emphasized Spanoulis' competitive spirit.
"I just love that I have somebody like him next to me and he knows I do whatever I can to win. I don't bullshit, I don't cheat the game. His identity goes through the whole team. Now, we have 12 players like that and when we go to the court, we play with that winning mentality."
Giannis was part of the Greek team that lost the 2016 OQT in Turin. Croatia downed a Hellenic squad, then led by 22-year-old Antetokounmpo who was coming off his third NBA season. Giannis went 3/14 from the field and registered 9 points and as many boards in his team's losing effort (61-66).
"The last time I played competitive basketball was in 2022. Last year, I got hurt. I wanted to play in the Olympics since I was a kid," he recalled.
"I remember we played Croatia we lost the game and that memory stuck in my head, I told my wife to wear that same shirt she was wearing back then. These things make you stronger. I think mentally I'm very strong now. Playing in front of a lot of fans and playing basketball means something -- and being able to get the job done feels done. Hopefully, we can get another job done."
Nearing his 30s, Giannis is the main candidate to become Greece's flagbearer in the coming Olympics. The Hellenic Olympic Committee will convene Tuesday morning, and the decision is expected to be made that same day.
"That's an honor. In the Olympics, the best athletes in the world compete. If I'm the flagbearer, great. If I'm not, it's OK," he noted.
"I want to go to the Olympics, compete, and try to make something happen. But I'll enjoy every moment."
One of Greece's most important takeaways from the OQT is Giannis' slightly different role with the team. Instead of handing him the ball to make decisions, Spanoulis entrusts his two main ball handlers (Nick Calathes and Thomas Walkup) to make plays for the NBA star and the big men.
"NBA and FIBA basketball are totally different," Giannis observed.
"In games like this, you can literally take the ball and send everyone away in iso and just play. There's a lot more of iso game and 'show me what you can do'," he said referring to how the game's played in the NBA.
"I'm very competitive, but I want to win. I heard Nick telling me to come more in the hand-off, set a flat pick-and-roll, and Thomas was telling me 'Shoot the jump shot.' They were telling me to play better defense. You have to adapt. In the FIBA game you have to be more patient and let the game come to you," he noticed.
A few months ago, Antetokounmpo said that winning a medal with Greece in a big competition would be more important than the NBA title. With the Olympics just around the corner, the Bucks big man has somewhat reconsidered his priorities.
"Winning is the most important," he clarified.
"Where I win doesn't matter, I value winning and making my team successful," he added, before referring to his brother, who was cheering the team up during the entire tournament.
"Thanasis was jumping up and down. He comes to the locker room every day, looks everyone in the eye and tells them that they should be ready to go to war. He's a great leader.
But sometimes I feel like what we do as a culture and as a country, I don't do it as much. I don't get ahead of myself. I take one step at a time," Giannis concluded his long presser.
