Giannis Antetokounmpo wasted no time reminding everybody why he’s one of the vital dominant gamers on the planet, placing on a present in his 2025 EuroBasket debut as Greece rolled previous Kristaps Porzingis and Latvia.
Coming into Wednesday’s matchup, Latvia have been sitting at 2-2 of their warmup video games.
That they had crushed Belgium and Montenegro, however dropped contests to Serbia and Israel. With Antetokounmpo lastly suiting up, the vitality shifted instantly.
The 2-time NBA MVP erupted for eight factors, three rebounds, and two blocks in simply his first 5 minutes on the ground, serving to Greece construct an early double-digit benefit. His fast begin set the tone for the evening and foreshadowed a dominant efficiency.
GIANNIS IS BACK 😤#EUROBASKET X @hellenicbf 🇬🇷 pic.twitter.com/JiERepZNi3
— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) August 20, 2025
By halftime, the 2021 NBA Finals MVP had piled up 20 factors, eight rebounds, and two blocks, overwhelming Latvia together with his trademark mixture of energy and finesse.
He ultimately completed with 25 factors and 10 rebounds in solely 21 minutes as Greece cruised to a 104-86 victory.
The win pushed Greece’s exhibition report to 3-2 with simply two tune-up video games remaining earlier than the group stage suggestions off on August 28. First-year coach Vassilis Spanoulis will lead Antetokounmpo and veteran guard Kostas Sloukas into matchups with Italy and France earlier than official EuroBasket play begins.
From there, Greece faces a troublesome Group C schedule with video games towards Italy, Cyprus, Georgia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and powerhouse Spain.
Spanoulis’ squad gained’t be at full power, nevertheless. Defensive standout Thomas Walkup is out with a again harm, Giorgios Papagiannis is sidelined attributable to private causes, and sharpshooter Nikos Rogkavopoulos has opted to not take part regardless of being cleared to play.
Even with these absences, Antetokounmpo’s return makes Greece a severe medal menace. If his opening efficiency towards Latvia is any indication, the Greek Freak is able to chase the nation’s first EuroBasket gold in 20 years.
READ MORE: Dennis Schroder in Awe of Nikola Jokic’s Dominance
