The Greek men’s basketball team may have to play without star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. He is battling a recurring knee problem.
His participation in this year’s Greek national team is uncertain, according to head coach Dimitris Itoudis.
The fact that the Greek Freak had a corrective knee treatment in July makes it unlikely that he will perform on the international stage this summer. The World Cup will be on from August 25 till September 10.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, an All-Star forward, is recovering from a knee injury in the USA. The Milwaukee Bucks legend is still committed to playing for his country. The two-time MVP’s presence will certainly make a big difference for the Greeks. But will he be in a condition to play?
Vangelis Ioannou, a Greek radio broadcaster, summed up the uncertainty. “The goal is to decide as to whether he’ll be able to join Greece down the road, provided his doctors allow him to do so,” Ioannou was quoted as saying in an article on sportskeeda.com.
Greeks face daunting prospects without Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Greeks face a daunting prospect without their offensive lynchpin, a problem made worse by coach Dimitris Itoudis’ inability to remain upbeat in the face of difficulty. Giannis’ probable absence raises important concerns about Greece’s offensive potential and casts a pall over their performance in international basketball.
Itoudis shared, “My information is that Giannis is making an effort.” He added, “There were athletes who discussed [this] with me. They informed us about the reasons why they can’t be here: Kostas Sloukas, Nick Calathes, Leonidas Kaselakis, and Tyler Dorsey. The common denominator was that some of them were hindered by injuries, making it a hypothetical question as to whether they would be available. We are not in the fortunate position to have all of them,” an article from sportskeeda.com mentioned.