Milwaukee Bucks

Greece coach Rick Pitino says he is planning on trying to qualify for the 2020 Olympics without Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Pitino officially took over as coach of the Greek national basketball team on Monday. He said he would leave a roster place open for Antetokounmpo in qualifying games but is not sure if he will be able to rely on his best player.

Greece exited the Basketball World Cup in China from the Round of 16, despite having been tipped for a medal, as its seven-point win (84-77) over the Czech Republic on Monday was not enough for the national team to make the quarterfinals.

The US men's basketball team figured that it would eventually cross paths with Giannis Antetokounmpo at this World Cup.
And the Americans were right.

Giannis Antetokounmpo soars for a dunk during Greece's victory over New Zealand Thursday in Nanjing, China. The national team had to work hard to beat the Tall Blacks, but did so with a 103-97 score, becoming the last team to make the 16-team field for the second round of the FIBA World Cup. Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks led Greece with 24 points and 10 rebounds.

Greece paid for its poor defense in the second half of the game against Brazil on Tuesday and went down 79-78 to miss out on the top spot in the group and leave it till Thursday to seal qualification to the second round of the FIBA World Cup in China.

Greece's Giannis Antetokounmpo, of the Milwaukee Bucks (center) looks to pass the ball, between Italy's Giampaolo Rice (right) and Paul Biligha, during a game at the Acropolis basketball tournament in the indoor Olympic stadium of Athens on Friday. Greece won the game 83 to 63. [Yorgos Karahalis/AP] 

US Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt has praised Athens-born Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo for his basketball talent, as well as for enhancing interpersonal relations between the United States and Greece.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo has said he would swap his NBA most valuable player award for a FIBA Basketball World Cup title.
"I would exchange the MVP title for the gold medal in China," the 24-year-old told the FIBA Basketball website in an interview ahead of the World Cup in China starting August 31.

Kostas Antetokounmpo has been awarded to the Los Angeles Lakers on a waiver claim.

The younger brother of NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, he spent much of last season in the NBA G League. He was waived by the Dallas Mavericks.

In hoops, Giannis Antetokounmpo is court royalty. But in baseball, he's a complete rookie. In fact, the 24-year-old from Greece said he'd never even touched a baseball before he did so Monday night at Yankee Stadium.

The reigning NBA MVP was shocked. "It was really heavy," Antetokounmpo told The Associated Press. "I thought it would be lighter."