Milwaukee Bucks ahead Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports activities
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has confirmed time and time once more that he is likely one of the finest basketball gamers on the planet. He’s an eight-time NBA All-Star, two-time MVP, NBA Champion and Finals MVP. He additionally has an NBA Defensive Participant of the 12 months Award below his belt.
There has, nonetheless, been one honor that has eluded him up till this 12 months.
With a victory over Luka Doncic and Slovenia final week, Giannis and the Greek Nationwide Crew certified for the 2024 Paris Olympics. It was the primary time that Greece certified for the Olympic Males’s Match since 2008. Now, Giannis and Greece will compete for his or her first ever Olympic medal in basketball.
If they’re going to obtain that, although, they should overcome one of many hardest challenges of Giannis’ basketball profession.
Antetokounmpo will face a gauntlet of powerful groups within the 2024 Olympics
There are solely 12 nations whose groups certified for the 2024 Olympics. They’ve been divided into the next three teams:
Group A
- Canada
- Greece
- Spain
- Australia
Group B
- France
- Germany
- Japan
- Brazil
Group C
- Serbia
- South Sudan
- Puerto Rico
- United States of America
Group A, the place Giannis and Greece will play, has been labeled because the “Group of Demise” because of the excessive degree of expertise on all 4 of its groups.
The Canadian Nationwide Crew is led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who completed second in NBA MVP voting this 12 months whereas averaging 30.1 factors, 5.5 rebounds and 6.2 assists per sport. Giannis and the Greek Nationwide Crew will face Canada on Saturday, July 27 of their first sport of Olympic competitors.
Spain is led by guard Rudy Fernandez, who shall be taking part in in his sixth Olympic Video games. No different participant has achieved such a feat. The Spanish Nationwide Crew just lately received a Gold Medal on the 2022 EuroBasket Match.
Puerto Rico boasts former Wisconsin Badgers star Aleem Ford on its roster.
Antetokounmpo’s viral response to creating it to the 2024 Olympics
When the clock hit 0:00 in Greece’s win over Slovenia to clinch a berth within the Paris Olympics, the next video of Giannis went viral on social media:
Giannis emotional after qualifying for Olympics
He leads Greece to their first Olympics since 2008
(through @FIBA)pic.twitter.com/eM31ZxPoL2
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 7, 2024
As seen, the second and accomplishment meant an awesome deal to the Greek Freak, who confirmed comparable emotion after profitable the NBA Finals in 2021.
To make it much more particular for Giannis, one in all his youthful brothers, Kostas Antetokounmpo, can also be on the Greek Nationwide Crew.
This text first appeared on WI Sports Heroics and was syndicated with permission.
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