Giannis Antetokounmpo has yet to join the Greek national team’s practices as they gear up for EuroBasket, with reports from Aris Barkas and Stavros Barbarousis of Eurohoops indicating that he’s still waiting on formal, written clearance from the Milwaukee Bucks.
Without that permission, he can’t take part in team activities.
In most cases, NBA players don’t need special approval from their teams to participate in international competitions. Antetokounmpo’s situation is different because of the enormous value of his NBA contract.
According to sources cited by Barkas and Barbarousis, the standard FIBA insurance policy – paid for by the Greek basketball federation – wouldn’t come close to covering the financial risk if he suffered a major injury.
The insurance has a payout cap, meaning it can’t fully protect the Bucks’ investment in him, so the team’s authorization is a necessary safeguard.
This restriction isn’t unique to Giannis – Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers are also subject to the same insurance limitation.
The difference is that both Jokic and Doncic have been cleared to train and are actively participating in preparation games for their respective EuroBasket squads.
Per the FIBA–NBA agreement, NBA players can join their national teams’ training camps starting 28 days before a major FIBA event begins.
Since Greece opens EuroBasket play on August 28, Giannis could have begun training in early August under normal circumstances. However, because of the insurance impasse, he has been sidelined.
So far, Antetokounmpo has missed three exhibition matches with Greece and is also expected to sit out Thursday’s game against Montenegro.
Greece will still have a few more warm-ups – the prestigious Acropolis Tournament and a final exhibition against France on August 24 – but it’s uncertain whether Giannis will be available for any of them.
This complication comes at a time when Giannis’s future in Milwaukee is already a subject of speculation.
Earlier this month, Shams Charania of ESPN reignited trade rumors, reporting that the two-time MVP is still unsure whether he can realistically win another NBA championship while staying with the Bucks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Still Awaiting Bucks' Approval For EuroBasket https://t.co/iXH9wlCirK pic.twitter.com/T2gs5hJlpX
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) August 14, 2025
