Photo: FIBA

Greece, finishing third in the final standings of EuroBasket 2025 and securing the bronze medal in Riga on Sunday, returned home on Monday to a warm reception.

At Athens airport, the team coached by Vassilis Spanoulis was greeted with the iconic tune The Final Countdown by Europe, a song forever linked to Greece’s EuroBasket 1987 triumph, which helped cement basketball’s popularity across the country.

“A very nice reception, deserving for this team,” said 43-year-old Spanoulis. “This medal belongs to all Greeks. We wanted to bring basketball to the top again. This generation deserved it. Thank you very much, and I hope this medal returns basketball to the golden era.”

Team captain Kostas Papanikolaou reflected on the emotional significance of the moment: “It has been emotional. The messages of appreciation received, even after the loss to Turkiye, were touching. The positive energy helped us accomplish this goal.”

The bronze medal in Riga marked the end of a long medal drought for Greece, which had last reached the podium at EuroBasket 2009. Historically, the team has earned gold in 1987, silver in 1989 and 2005, and bronze in 1949, making this achievement a meaningful continuation of their legacy.

Greece’s standout performer throughout the tournament in both Limassol and Riga was Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was named to the All-Tournament Team. Across seven games, he averaged 27.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.9 blocks per contest, anchoring the team’s success.

Looking ahead, Greece will be one of the co-hosts for EuroBasket 2029, alongside Estonia, Slovenia, and Spain, with one of the four preliminary groups scheduled to take place in Athens.

Before that, the next major test will come in the Qualifiers for the FIBA World Cup 2027, beginning in late November, as Greece aims to secure a place in the 2028 Olympic Games.

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