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Will NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo be ready in time for FIBA World Cup? Greece coach provides ominous update
Antetokounmpo has been away from action since facing a knee injury last season.
NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo has been out of action since suffering a knee injury during Milwaukee Bucks’ first round playoff loss to the Miami Heat last season. The two-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) underwent a knee procedure in June. Antetokounmpo had reportedly undergone an arthroscopic surgery back then. Antetokounmpo’s injury was a major blow for the Greek national team, who are currently preparing for the FIBA World Cup. When asked about Antetokounmpo’s current status, Greece coach Dimitris Itoudis did not have much to say. “They are still not practicing with the team, and we don’t have something more to say right now,” Itoudis said on Giannis and his brother Kostas.
The Greek side will certainly be impacted a lot due to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s unavailability. The 28-year-old last represented Greece at the FIBA Eurobasket tournament in 2022. Antetokounmpo had averaged 29.3 points, 8.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists in the tournament last year. Antetokounmpo’s stellar performances helped Greece in winning all five games at the group stage. Greece got the better of Switzerland at the round of 16. Greece’s impressive run came to an end at the quarter-finals where they were defeated by Germany by 11 points.
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This year’s FIBA World Cup, which will be held in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia is scheduled to start from August 25. The Greeks find themselves placed in a group which comprises title-contenders USA. New Zealand and Jordan are the other two sides who are present in the same group.
Greece recently faced a 71-64 defeat against Serbia in the 2023 Akropolis Tournament, which helps teams in preparing for the summer competitions.
Giannis Antetokounmpo claimed his first NBA championship in 2021. But just seven months before winning the title, Antetokounmpo had contemplated the idea of retiring from basketball. Sharing his thoughts on that particular phase, the Greek forward told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "If something doesn't make me happy, I don't do it. I don't want to do it. I'm just going to stay home, stay with my kids, stay with my family and try to be happy. I don't care. And this was right when I signed the largest contract in NBA history. In 2020, I was ready to walk away from the game. I had that conversation – yes – with the front office.”
