Giannis Antetokounmpo has waited a long time to be on the Olympic stage. So when the final horn sounded in Greece’s 77-71 win over Australia to keep alive his country’s hopes of advancing to the knockout round, the first-time Olympian put a towel over his face and buried his head. He also doesn’t want the experience to end. Not yet.
Giannis Antetokounmpo , of Greece , gets a lay-up against Australia in a men’s basketball game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France. Giannis Antetokounmpo , of Greece , celebrates after a basket against Australia in a men’s basketball game at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France.
, reluctantly accepted. He initially asked for Greece captain Kostas Papanikolaou to have the honor instead, but in the end Antetokounmpo is glad he did it.“Just the energy from the moment that we went to the ceremony and, with all Greek athletes and, teammates and lifting up the flag and seeing people come out and in Paris to say that they got to cheer for us — and going back and competing in the games and see how the crowds get into it and, how people are really competing,” he said.
“I’m happy that I’m here. I don’t take it for granted. I would enjoy it to the fullest,” he said. “You never know if you’re going to have this opportunity. It took me 16 years to get here. So maybe in 16 years, I will be how old? I will be 45 years old.”“No, no, no,” the 29-year-old Antetokounmpo said. “I don’t know. I just want to enjoy it. I’m just happy that I see my kids out there and they’re able to see me compete on this stage. And I can tell them the stories about how it was.
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