Giannis Antetokounmpo’s basketball journey with the Greek national team began more than a decade ago. From a young prospect in 2014 to now, one of the most dominant international basketball figures by 2025? Wow. His presence in the Greek squad has elevated their presence on the global stage while restoring attention to Hellenic basketball. 

Coming from a humble background in the Greek second division to carrying the national flag at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Across multiple FIBA tournaments, including World Cups, EuroBasket competitions, Olympic qualifiers, and the Olympics themselves, Antetokounmpo has built an international resume.

Who Is Giannis Antetokounmpo?

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA. He was born on December 6, 1994, in Athens, Greece, to undocumented Nigerian immigrants, and lived most of his childhood without Greek citizenship, selling sunglasses and DVDs on the streets to help his family. It was not until 2013, when “The Greek Freak” received Greek citizenship, just weeks before the NBA Draft. “He was given Greek citizenship to prevent him from traveling to New York as a Nigerian,” Nikos Odubitan told Generation 2.0. He is now a two-time NBA MVP, a 2021 NBA Champion and Finals MVP, and a multiple-time All-NBA and All-Defensive Team member. Once viewed as “just another migrant,” Giannis is now a national hero.

Discovered in Sepolia at just 13 by coach Spiros Velliniatis, who believed divine fate led him to Giannis, and offered his family jobs so Giannis could play for his team. Giannis practiced late into the night, often sleeping in the gym out of fear of racist attacks from neo-Nazi groups.
“Giannis doesn’t understand fear,” Spiros Velliniatis once said.

What are Giannis’s records for Greece?

Senior National Team Career Averages

Across 37 official games in major FIBA competitions (2014–2024), Giannis Antetokounmpo has compiled the following career averages for Greece’s senior national team. He recorded 19.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists per game, along with an efficiency rating of 21.2 EFF.

 Major Tournament Scoring Leader

When Giannis debuted for Greece at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, averaging 6.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 0.3 assists in just 16 minutes per game, Giannis showed flashes of promise, but he was far from the athlete he would soon become. Just a year later, at EuroBasket 2015, Giannis took on a slightly larger role, as Greece finished a strong fifth. And while in the 2016 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, his impact grew larger, Greece still fell short of Olympic qualification. However, by the time the 2019 FIBA World Cup arrived, Giannis was a reigning NBA MVP, which also meant that the expectations were sky high.

Greece finished 11th in the 2019 FIBA World Cup, but Giannis still put up 14.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, often facing triple-teams and strategic fouling in the paint. The true breakout came at EuroBasket 2022, with 29.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. He led the entire tournament in scoring and was named to the EuroBasket All-Star 5. Giannis recorded 41 points vs. Ukraine, the highest point total in a EuroBasket game since 2001.

Olympic Tournament Highs [Paris 2024 Olympics] 

Having missed out on the Olympics for over a decade, Greece’s qualification for Paris 2024 was historic. Antetokounmpo led Greece to victory at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Piraeus, scoring 23 points in the final vs. Croatia, and punching their ticket to Paris for the first time since 2008. Giannis also dropped a perfect-shooting 22-point game against Germany in the quarterfinals. He had 25.8 points, 6.3 rpg,  and 3.5 apg per game, while his average efficiency performance was 26.5 EFF. The Greek Freak shot 67.8% from the field and was named to the Olympic All-Star Second Team.

World Cup Qualifier Dominance [2023 European Qualifiers]

In the 2023 FIBA World Cup European Qualifiers, Giannis suited up for only two games, with 33 points, 7.5 rebounds, and three assists, 29.5 EFF, and a career-high 40 points vs. Serbia, his all-time best in a Greek jersey. Despite the narrow overtime loss, that game became an instant classic in Greek basketball history.

Personal Bests in a Greek Jersey

The Bucks star has had multiple high moments in his Greek Basketball career. Here is a list breaking them down.

With his 2025 tournament attendance still pending, we can expect more additions to this list.

Total Points Scored for Greece

Across all of his official FIBA tournaments in his senior national team career, Giannis has scored a total of 725 points, marking him among the top scorers in Greece’s modern basketball history.

Antetokounmpo’s success has helped open doors for other Black players in Greece. “What Giannis represents is important for the younger kids growing up now… But certain histories have been put aside,” said Jackie Abhulimen. With Greece eyeing future tournaments like EuroBasket 2025, Giannis’ continued presence remains crucial, beyond just performance.