Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo Says International Playing Future Hinges on One Thing

The Bucks forward loves representing his country in international play.

Apr 29, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) defends during game five of the first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo loves playing in international competition for Team Greece. He, like a lot of other NBA players, loves representing his country any chance he gets.

Antetokounmpo played for Team Greece in EuroBasket this summer, which certainly makes the Greek team a lot better. He has a large sense of pride putting on that uniform whenever he gets a chance to.

There has been some controversy surrounding the Greek coach, Vassilis Spanoulis. Antetokounmpo made sure to defend him, even going so far as to say that he might not play for Greece if Spanoulis is let go.

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Antetokounmpo had a very passionate media session, defending Spanoulis to the extreme.

Giannis defends his coach:

“If Spanoulis is out, I am out.” 😬

(via @karamouza_vas)pic.twitter.com/jSnY9uqFrl

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) September 15, 2025

"If Coach Spanoulis is not here, I'm not here. The moment he's here, I'm here. It's as simple as that. He brings the best out of me, the best out of the team. He has a winning mentality. And I just want to be able to be with people that have greatness and have been there before and people that know what it takes to win and know how to push their best players and the whole team."

Antetokounmpo clearly has a lot of respect for what Spanoulis brings to the table as a coach. He loves the fact that he coaches him hard, which is something he's looking for.

The Bucks have been searching for someone who pushes Antetokounmpo in exactly the way he's talking about. He wants a coach who can get the best out of the entire roster.

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Bucks Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo Loves Representing His Country

Antetokounmpo was able to lead the Greek team to the semi-finals, which is an incredible accomplishment. He mentioned in that press conference that accomplishment is as great as anything he's done.

Antetokounmpo wants to inspire the next generation of Greek basketball players, so he's going to keep playing as long as his coach is going to be involved.

Last season, Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game. He shot 60.1 percent from the field and 22.2 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.

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