Milwaukee Bucks player Giannis Antetokounmpo, 24, will play for Greece at this year’s basketball World Cup in China. The Cup runs from 31 August to 15 September with 32 qualifiers.
Currently in his Athens birthplace to launch his new signature Nike footwear, the NBA player said that he had not “talked to the coach about which position I’ll be playing… the important thing is to play.” He added that he would play any position where he was needed. “Whether I play the 1 (point guard) or the 5 (centre), I don’t care,” Antetokounmpo said.
Antetokounmpo was absent from the Greek team at the 2017 Eurobasket, leading the Greek basketball federation to publicly accuse the Bucks of staging a knee injury.
During the shoe presentation, the player talked about his journey from a Greek-born child of Nigerian immigrants to Greece all the way to becoming the first European basketball player to win the NBA MVP. He attributed his success to his support system that includes his family, girlfriend, agent and his own self-belief. He added that the name “Greek Freak” is one “that fits me”.