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Giannis Antetokounmpo balled out this weekend while leading his Greek squad to a monumental win on Sunday. The NBA star put the world on notice as he now preps for a trip to Paris.
The Greece national team took down Croatia in the final of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament to successfully punch a ticket to the 2024 Olympic Games. It will be the country’s first appearance since 2008, and Antetokounmpo’s first ever chance to call himself an Olympian.
Greece battled Croatia in a close matchup Sunday afternoon with history on the line. The team’s biggest star wouldn’t disappoint!
Antetokounmpo scored a team-high 23 points while flashing an impressive mid-range game. If there’s one area of his game that NBA fans have been critical, it’s his shooting.
While he converted a career high 61% of his shots last season, more than 2/3 of his points came from inside the paint. He’s shot less than 30% from beyond the arc in each his last three seasons, and less than 70% from the charity stripe in four of his last five campaigns.
Simply put, the athletic big man has no problem getting to the rim, but often, his jump shot leaves a lot to be desired.
That wasn’t the case in his most recent outing.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was seen drilling jumpers time and time again, which helped Greece build a lead late in the action.
Giannis just hit his 5th (!!!) midrange over Ivica Zubac and it was the most contested it’s been all night. 💦 pic.twitter.com/hCxeKptjs1
— Heavenly Buckets on youtube (@HeavenlyBuckets) July 7, 2024
Heck, he even showed off the three-point range before channeling his inner Michael Jordan. Everything was going in!
Cherry on the cake 🇬🇷#FIBAOQT pic.twitter.com/RZb21K9J53
— FIBA (@FIBA) July 7, 2024
Giannis Antetokounmpo was emotional after the game.
Knowing what the win meant not only for himself, but for his country, the Milwaukee Bucks star broke down.
He was seen with tears in his eyes while soaking in the moment as reality started to set in.
What it means for Giannis 🥹#FIBAOQT pic.twitter.com/rpacKTH6PA
— FIBA (@FIBA) July 7, 2024
Giannis Antetokounmpo is now an Olympian, flashing a new and improved skillset in the process. We’ll see how far he can take the Greece national team when it gets to Paris.