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Giannis’ brother Kostas Antetokounmpo is also out for Greece for the upcoming World Cup

Two out of three Antetokounmpos are out for the World Cup.
Matthew Dugandzic|
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Milwaukee Bucks

Two Antetokounmpos are now out of Greece for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, which is less than two weeks away from tip-off.

Per several reports, Greece will not only miss the Milwaukee Bucks top gun Giannis Antetokounmpo but also his 6-foot-10 brother Kostas Antetokounmpo.

The Hellenic Basketball Federation announced that Kostas was officially ruled out due to injury. The development was also reported by Harris Stavrou of Sport24.

Giannis has already announced that he will be skipping the World Cup after undergoing knee surgery shortly after the Bucks exited from the NBA 2022-2023 season. Aside from Giannis and Kostas, Nick Calathes and Kostas Sloukas are also some of the prominent names missing for the Greeks.

Only one Antetokounmpo left for Greece

Greece’s lineup is down to 14, including Giannis and Kostas’ brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo. The 31-year-old, who has been playing superbly in Greece’s recent tune-up games, was recently signed by Milwaukee to complete its 15-man roster.

From 14, Greece’s lineup will be cut to 12 en route to the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Aside from Thanasis, part of Greece’s 14-man roster are Lefteris Bochoridis, Manolis Hatzidakis, Panagiotis Kalaitzakis, Giannoulis Larentzakis, Michalis Lountzis, Konstantinos Mitoglou, Dimitris Moraitis, Giorgos Papagiannis, Kostas Papanikolaou, Ioannis Papapetrou, Nikos Rogkavopoulos, Giorgos Tsalmpouris, and Thomas Walkup.

An uphill battle

Greece is scheduled to travel to Abu Dhabi to face the USA and Germany as part of its preparations for the sport’s biggest spectacle.

With key players unavailable, the Dimitris Itoudis-coached Greece is expected to have its hands full in the tough Bracket C of the World Cup. Also part of the group is the heavily favored USA, Jordan, and New Zealand.

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.