"This is the greatest achievement of my life": Giannis Antetokounmpo, following Greece's bronze at EuroBasket 2025

Greece returned to the podium of the EuroBasket after sixteen years of absence. In the bronze medal match played this Sunday, the Greek team defeated Finland 92-89 thanks to the brilliant performance of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 30 points and grabbed 17 rebounds. The victory gave Greece its first medal since the bronze achieved in 2009 and the sixth in the history of the competition, where they already have two golds, one silver, and three bronzes.

The player from the Milwaukee Bucks, NBA champion and two-time MVP, did not hide his emotion at the end of the game. "We did it. This is probably one of the greatest achievements I have accomplished as an athlete. I know I've won an NBA championship, but there is no feeling comparable to representing your country and 12 million people who feel and live this team. This is, surely, the greatest achievement of my life so far," he declared with visible pride.

The game had a favorable development for Greece from the beginning. The team led by Dimitrios Itoudis was never behind on the scoreboard and even had a 17-point lead. Even with less than two minutes left, they maintained an 11-point advantage, but Finland didn't give up and closed the gap in the final stretch. Elias Valtonen had three free throws with five seconds left to tie the score, but missed the third one. Antetokounmpo then grabbed the decisive rebound and secured the win from the line with two successful free throws.

Finland's main player was Lauri Markkanen, a player for the Utah Jazz, who finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. His team fought until the end, confirming the growth of Finnish basketball on the European stage, although they could not reach their first podium finish in the competition.

Greece reached the duel for the third place after a clear defeat to Turkey in the semifinals, while Finland had been defeated by Germany. In the later final, the German team defeated Turkey and won the continental title, consolidating their great moment in international basketball.

However, the bronze had a special value for Greece. With Antetokounmpo as an undisputed leader, the Greek team returned to the top positions of the EuroBasket, celebrating a success that, in the words of their star player, will mark his career forever.