Photo: FIBA

Thanasis Antetokounmpo made a triumphant return to the court during Greece’s training camp leading up to EuroBasket 2025, and he quickly showed that he was ready to contribute.

In his first official game after recovering from Achilles surgery, the 33-year-old forward scored six points, including a clutch three-pointer that helped seal Greece’s victory over Italy.

In the postgame press conference on Thursday evening, Italy’s head coach, Gianmarco Pozzecco, reflected on a connection from more than a decade ago, revealing that he had once wanted to sign Thanasis for Openjobmetis Varese.

“I called him because I wanted to sign him. Of course, I respect him,” Pozzecco said. “I really like his energy. And also, he’s an amazing guy.”

Pozzecco also touched on the humorous pre-game comments he had made regarding needing a sniper to stop Giannis Antetokounmpo, which the superstar did not require, finishing with 31 points at Spyros Kyprianou Arena.

“We played solid. I’m happy with the behavior of my players. They were really focused on the game. Yesterday, of course, I was joking about a sniper, but they did on the court what we want to do,” the 52-year-old coach explained. “We had to play a little bit better offensively. We didn’t shoot well.”

Meanwhile, Danilo Gallinari highlighted Greece’s intensity and energy as a key factor in the game.

“To win any game, our DNA is to bring the same intensity and energy for 40 minutes. I think we brought more energy in the first half than in the second. That’s something that we need to do a little better in the next game,” said the veteran forward after scoring eight points and playing nearly 16 minutes before fouling out.

As the EuroBasket group stage continues, Italy looks to rebound in the second half of their five-game round-robin schedule.

They will face Georgia on Saturday, a game that promises another test for Pozzecco’s team as they aim to bounce back from the opening loss.

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