Giannis Antetokounmpo's emotional reaction to qualifying for first Olympic Games
07/07/2024 04:49 PM
While Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 campaign with the Milwaukee Bucks didn’t go according to plan, he has an opportunity to do something special with the Greece basketball team this summer. After they defeated Croatia 80-69 in their qualifying contest on Sunday afternoon, Greece officially qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics.
This is the first time that Antetokounmpo has made it to the Olympics with his home country, and he was quite emotional after the big victory. Cameras caught Giannis in tears as he was with one of his kids shortly after the game, and even walking off the court, the Bucks superstar forward was still collecting himself after this huge accomplishment.
An emotional Giannis Antetokounmpo as Greece qualifies for the Olympics
(via @FIBA)pic.twitter.com/t7Utq4g7Y9
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 7, 2024
Giannis Antetokounmpo coming off the court after Greece clinched an Olympic appearance. pic.twitter.com/eM3glPCNcJ
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) July 7, 2024
Giannis Antetokounmpo hoping make some noise at 2024 Summer Olympics
Getting a chance to represent your country on the court is always a big honor for NBA players, but doing so at the Olympics is even more special. This is a first for Antetokounmpo, and it’s not always a guarantee that Greece will be in the tournament, so you can bet he’s going to do whatever he can to help his country enjoy some success while they are around.
As is typically the case, Giannis was vital to Greece qualifying for the tournament. He scored 23 points while hauling in eight rebounds in their win over Croatia, and that ended up being just enough to help them qualify. The road ahead is obviously going to be tough, but just having the opportunity to compete in the tournament clearly means a lot to these players.
Making this situation all that more emotional for Antetokounmpo is the fact that he didn’t really know whether he would be able to play for Greece just a few weeks ago. He missed the Bucks entire first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers with a right soleus strain, and sure enough, Milwaukee ended up losing in six games without their best player on the court.
It seemed for a point in time that Greece could be subjected to a similar fate if Antetokounmpo wasn’t able to take the court for them, but he managed to suit up and lead them to qualify for the tournament. They certainly won’t be favored to win, but with one of the best players in the world repping their jersey, they will at least have a shot to win every game they play in.
With their spot in the Olympics secured, Antetokounmpo and the rest of the Greece national team will have a few weeks to prepare for the tournament once it gets underway on July 26th. It’s not hard to see how much this means to Giannis, and you can expect an inspired performance from him now that he has found his way to the Olympics for the first time in his career.
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