Photo: Peter Baba

Giannis Antetokounmpo shared his thoughts with Sport24 following Greece’s bronze medal win at EuroBasket 2025, reflecting on the possibility of playing for a European club. The two-time NBA MVP made it clear he would consider it under the right circumstances and timing.

“Yes. Last year, after the Olympic Qualifiers, I was sitting with Thanasis watching some highlights and I said, ‘Bro, Thanasis…’ He looked at me like I was crazy. Like, ‘The best player in the world – or one of the best players in the world – would come play in Europe?’” Giannis recalled.

He explained that the scenario could appeal to other top players too.

“Of course it can happen. If you told Jokic that he would earn roughly the same money and be back home in Serbia, he would do it. For me, I think a lot about my body. The money is very different, and not just the money – the whole organization is completely different. You’ve been to the NBA, you’ve seen how things work. But every year when I play for the national team, I always end up saying the same thing.”

Giannis also shared a personal discussion with his wife about living in Europe versus the United States.

“I told my wife, ‘What would you prefer? To stay in Greece or to live in Milwaukee?’ She looked at me and said, ‘Athens. Athens. Athens is good.’ And I told her, ‘Okay, think about it.’ I believe the game here is much more physical. You take more hits, but there aren’t the same bodies to deliver those hits. You know what I mean?”

Comparing the European style of play to the NBA, he said, “Yeah, it’s sneakier. A little dirtier. But there’s no Duren from Detroit here. It’s not Adebayo, it’s not Steven Adams. It’s not Zach Edey, not Anthony Davis, not Jaren Jackson. I could keep naming names all night. You take hits here too, but the bodies aren’t the same in Europe. So in a way, it’s less.”

When asked if a European return is realistic, Giannis replied confidently: “Yes. Messi went to MLS, he went to Miami. If the right conditions and timing are there, it wouldn’t affect me at all.”

Finally, when a reporter noted that he said “Athens or Milwaukee” rather than naming specific clubs, Giannis smiled and remarked, “You caught that. You’re smart … .”

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