The Milwaukee Bucks badly missed Giannis Antetokounmpo’s talents when the team was soundly beaten in the first round of the 2024 playoffs. He never completely recovered in time for the series, which forced Damian Lillard to try and force the issue on his own.
While the Bucks were forced to shift their focus to next season, Giannis was locked in on helping Greece make the 2024 Paris Olympics. His country had to go through the qualifying tournament, and they finally got their ticket to the Olympics after taking down Croatia in convincing fashion.
While the Greek Freak and his teammates are focused on preparing for the Olympics and fighting to bring the gold medal home, the star got another piece of great news that can be considered a personal honor for him and his family.
Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo is selected to carry the Greek national flag during the 2024 Olympic parade
Giannis has been a great representation of what Greek athletes can do on the international stage, so it made sense for the Hellenic Olympic Committee to give him the honor of carrying the country’s flag during the 2024 Games.
Per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops, Antetokounmpo addressed the possibility of carrying Greece’s flag after securing his first Olympic opportunity.
“That is an honor,” Giannis said. “If I am the flagbearer, great. If I am not, OK. I am just happy that I have a good coaching staff and a good team, I am in the Olympics. I just want to go and compete. But I would enjoy every moment.”
Only a select number of athletes get the honor of carrying their nation’s flag during the Olympics, so it’s a big deal for anyone when they get picked for the task during the Games.
It’s not like the Milwaukee Bucks star didn’t deserve the honor: he finished the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament with an impressive stat line of 22.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks a game.
The teams they’ll face in the Olympics will have a problem trying to contain a highly motivated Giannis, and Greeks worldwide hope he can bring the squad to a podium finish.
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