The NBA season is still 2 months away, but some extremely competitive international basketball will soon be available to tide fans over until the start of the 2022-23 NBA season. EuroBasket is the most prestigious European competition in basketball between nations and was last won by Goran Dragic and Luka Doncic’s Slovenia in 2017.
The 2022 edition is expected to bring out many NBA stars to the frontlines and represent their nation in the competition. Doncic, Dragic, Nikola Jokic, Rudy Gobert, Domantas Sabonis, Dennis Schroder, and many other European stars will be playing.
One of the biggest names in the NBA will also be playing in the tournament as former Finals MVP, 2-time League MVP, DPOY, and NBA Champion Giannis Antetokounmpo will be representing Greece, along with his 3 brothers.
In their first exhibition game, team Greece showed they should be feared as Giannis led them to a comfortable 86-70 win against Spain. Antetokounmpo himself had 31 points and 10 rebounds in just 20 minutes in this friendly.
Giannis dropped 31 PTS | 10 REB in 20 MINUTES vs. Spain 🤯
(via @FIBA)pic.twitter.com/8mAQWrqp6E
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) August 9, 2022
Beating a European powerhouse like Spain with ease is quite incredible for this Greek national team that hasn’t been able to make a splash on the international stage with Giannis just yet. The country is still yet to qualify for the Olympic games with Giannis and could just finish in 11th place with Giannis during the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=620wdmrJf_8
Giannis chose to represent Greece over Nigeria as a youth as he grew up playing in Greece and through the youth systems there. The same enabled him to be known in the local community and eventually be discovered ahead of the 2013 NBA Draft.
EuroBasket 2022 will begin on 1 September and end on the 18th. Giannis will play in Group C with Greece against nations like Italy, Croatia, Ukraine, Great Britain, and Estonia.
