It’s clear that Giannis Antetokounmpo, a proud native and unquestionably one of his country’s greatest athletes, intends to lead Greece to the Olympics in Paris the following year.
However, the superstar isn’t putting too much emphasis on the renowned tournament just yet because he is still committed to playing for the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2023–24 NBA season.
“Right now, I am just looking forward to seeing my kids. After that, play Washington [Wizards]. Then after that, have a good season. Hopefully, we will be the last team standing. And after that, try to qualify for Paris,” he said after the Bucks fell in a hard-fought fight against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. “If all those things happen in order and we make it to Paris, I will be excited to be there.”
Greece in the World Cup
Greece took part in the FIBA Basketball World Cup this year without Giannis Antetokounmpo’s strong support, as the player announced his ineligibility following an offseason knee surgery.
The Greeks, under the leadership of Ioannis Papapetrou, competed fiercely during the tournament’s Group Phase even without the two-time MVP. Despite having a respectable record going into the second round, they fell out of contention and were unable to advance to the Manila quarterfinals.
Due to its inability to advance to the World Cup knockout round, Greece had to give up any dreams of automatically qualifying for the 2024 Olympics. Nonetheless, they still have an opportunity to punch a ticket to Paris through the Olympic Qualifying Tournament as one of the FIBA Championships participating teams.
Olympic hopes still alive
Greece is predicted to host the 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, which will take place from July 2 to July 7, a few weeks before the formal opening of the Paris Olympics on July 27, together with Spain, Latvia, and Puerto Rico.
Greece is one of 24 countries vying for one of the four Olympic basketball places. As the top finishers in their respective regions of the most recent World Cup, the winners will join the eight nations who have already qualified for the match.
Throughout his career as an international basketball player, Giannis has yet to make an Olympic appearance. Greece’s final Summer Olympic basketball game took place in Beijing in 2008.