This offseason would’ve been extremely memorable for both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Alperen Sengun if not for the controversial aftermath of winning a medal at EuroBasket. Following controversial statements from both players, the Bucks’ superstar and the Rockets’ All-Star have issued apologies and have attempted to make reparations for their mistakes.
Giannis Antetokounmpo criticized Turkish fans for spamming his live stream with Turkish flags. Following his questionable reaction to the fans, he issued an apology on his Instagram story.
“During my live feed, I made an inappropriate comment responding to somebody who was making disrespectful remarks. My intention was never to offend anyone,” wrote Antetokounmpo in his story.
“AND I’M DEEPLY SORRY,” he emphasized in capital letters. “I have nothing but love and respect for Turkey and people all around the world. That’s how our parents raised us with love and respect.”
Following Greece’s bronze medal game, Alperen Sengun took to social media and posted a few pictures from the tournament. But it was the caption of his post that raised a lot of eyebrows.
“Wouldn’t the sea weather be nice?” said the caption in a loose translation by Instagram. This caption did not sit well with Greek fans, who correlated it to the Smyrna catastrophe of 1922 and deemed his remarks as racially motivated.
Sengun has since then changed the caption of the post and also issued an apology for the miscommunication that his caption caused.
“My post after the Greece game was a communication mistake. I have great respect for the Greek people. No offense was ever intended,” wrote Sengun in his story.
But following this incident, both players felt it was time to build a bridge instead of breaking it. They both collaborated on Instagram and posted a picture of themselves hugging each other, indicating that they regret shifting focus from what sports are meant to do, which is to unite people and not divide them.
“We play for the love of our countries. We play for the love of the game. We play with respect. We always remember sports are made to unite us, not divide us x “ wrote the two players on the caption of the post.
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All the tension started when Turkey defeated Greece 94-68 in the semi-finals of EuroBasket in an embarrassing fashion. Sengun finished the game with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists, while Ercan Osmani held Antetokounmpo to 12 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists.
Following Alperen Sengun’s comments exposing Giannis Antetokounmpo’s alleged weakness, the dynamic between the teams became a lot more hostile. Even Giannis Antetokounmpo threw indirect shade on Alperen Sengun despite claiming he was taking the high road.
Just a few weeks ago, the two players were linked in trade rumors, and now, they were building a fierce rivalry until they realized that it was not the objective of basketball that they had envisioned. Nothing about sports should make the families of these players worry for their safety. Hence, the two players took the best decision to end the hostility and attempt to build a bridge between the two countries.
