The Greek Basketball Federation has issued a strong response following recent speculation and media reports concerning Giannis Antetokounmpo’s potential absence from the upcoming EuroBasket tournament due to issues related to his insurance coverage.
As previously reported by Eurohoops, the Greek national team was awaiting the official written clearance from the Milwaukee Bucks before allowing Antetokounmpo to be fully authorized for play.
Despite this procedural step, several media outlets in Greece circulated stories suggesting that Giannis’ very participation in EuroBasket was uncertain.
The Federation categorically rejected these claims and condemned what it described as misleading narratives, emphasizing that such reports were intentionally harmful. In its official statement, the Federation declared:
“The Federation doesn’t bother with and doesn’t answer to anything malicious regarding Giannis Antetokounmpo’s participation with the national team that has been written in the last few days. All these circles that have created these are guided by ‘para-centers’ that knew very well that everything they were saying and writing was lies. They manufactured a non-existent issue because their sole goal was to mislead public opinion and harm the unity and concentration of the national team with their lies. Unfortunately, it’s one more sample of some people using the national team to transmit their toxicity to basketball.”
In other words, the Federation accused certain corners of the press of deliberately fabricating a controversy in order to undermine team cohesion, create confusion among fans, and damage the credibility of the national program.
Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo has fully integrated into training sessions with the squad and is set to make his first summer appearance for Greece on Wednesday, August 20, in the Akropolis Tournament opener against Latvia in Athens.
To further reassure fans, the Federation also shared a practice highlight of Giannis from the team’s latest workout, underscoring his readiness and commitment to represent his country.
The Greek Federation reacts to "malicious" rumors about Giannis Antetokounmpo possibly missing the EuroBaskethttps://t.co/ydqHurlCaZ
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) August 18, 2025
