Antetokounmpo powers Greece to Paris Olympics

Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo was full of emotions after leading Greece to the 2024 Paris Olympics on Sunday.

The Milwaukee Bucks and NBA star took a moment to himself on the bench, overwhelmed with emotion, after Greece defeated Croatia 80-69 in one of the four men’s basketball qualifying tournament finals.

This victory means Antetokounmpo will compete in the Olympics for the first time. He scored 23 points in the game that secured Greece’s spot in the 12-team field for the Paris Games.

Greece will compete in Group A at the Summer Olympics, facing Australia, Canada, and Spain or The Bahamas. Georgios Papagiannis contributed 19 points for Greece, while Nick Calathes added 14, securing Greece’s first Olympic berth since 2008.

Ivica Zubac led Croatia with 19 points and 13 rebounds, supported by Mateo Dreznjak and Mario Hezonja with 15 points each, and Dario Saric with 14 points.

Already qualified for the Paris Olympics are the U.S., France, Germany, Japan, Serbia, South Sudan, Canada, and Australia. France qualified as the host nation, and the other seven teams secured their spots based on their finishes at the World Cup last summer.

Following the World Cup, 24 teams competed for the final four Olympic slots in winner-take-all qualifiers that began last week. Brazil claimed the first spot on Sunday, followed by Greece. The final two spots will be determined later Sunday, with the Bahamas visiting Spain and Lithuania visiting Puerto Rico. The winners will also head to Paris.

Brazil joins Greece in the Olympics after a decisive 94-69 victory over Latvia, fueled by a 19-0 run in the last 3:21 of the first quarter. Bruno Caboclo led Brazil with 21 points, and Leo Meindl added 20. Caboclo’s 65-foot 3-pointer capped a flawless 8-for-8 shooting performance from beyond the arc in the first quarter, stunning the home crowd.

Rihards Lomazs scored 15 points for Latvia, with Rolands Smits and Arturs Zagars contributing 14 points each. Brazil will be placed in Group B for the Olympics, with opening stage games against France (July 27), Germany (July 30), and Japan (August 2).