Giannis Antetokounmpo, a prominent player in the NBA, hasn’t played since the Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs last year, when he injured his knee. A knee operation was performed in June on the two-time MVP. It was reported at the time that Antetokounmpo had arthroscopic knee surgery.

Antetokounmpo’s ιnjury was devastating for the Greek national team as they get ready to compete in the FIBA World Cup. Greece head coach Dimitris Itoudis did not have much to sаy when asked about Antetokounmpo. Itoudis has stated that he and the rest of the team have nothing further to sаy about Giannis and his brother Kostas because they have yet to join the team in practice.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s absence will have a significant effect on the Greek team. The 28-year-old’s final appearance for Greece at the FIBA Eurobasket was in 2022. Antetokounmpo’s tournament stats from the previous year were as follows: 29.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. Greece won all five games in the group stage thanks to Antetokounmpo’s outstanding play. In the round of 16, Greece defeated Switzerland. Greece’s remarkable run was ended by an 11-point loss to Germany in the quarterfinals.

The 2018 FIBA World Cup is set to begin on August 25 and will be held in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia. The Greeks are in a group with potential winners like the United States. The other two teams in the same group are from New Zealand and Jordan.

Greece lost to Serbia by a score of 71–64 in the 2023 Akropolis Tournament, which serves as a springboard for teams to prepare for summer games.

In 2021, Giannis Antetokounmpo won the NBA title for the first time in his career. But just seven months before he won the championship, Antetokounmpo was really considering calling it quits. The Greek center said about that time period, “If something doesn’t make me happy, I don’t do it.” in an interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. I really don’t feel like it. I plan on spending the next several days at home with my family, focusing on finding joy in the little things we do together. That’s irrelevant to me. And this occurred right around the time I signed the biggest contract in NBA annals. I was prepared to call it quits in 2020. Yes, I did bring that up with the reception desk.