It took 16 years for Greece to qualify for the Olympics in basketball and compete for a medal. However, a lot of the credit goes to Giannis Antetokounmpo, who stood up for the team and kept hopes of victory alive. The achilles strain that Giannis suffered in April this year had the NBA community speculating about the Greek Freak’s absence. Yet Giannis managed to average 27 points in the Paris Olympics. Even in the quarter-final loss against Germany, Giannis recorded a career-high 22 points. It is surprising how the Bucks star’s team pulled it off at the Summer games.

It was even scary for the Bucks fans since it could affect Giannis’ regular season. Carrying the same query, Bucks legend Marques Johnson asked ex-Bucks employee Zora Stephenson about her opinion. “If you know Giannis, you know it was a no-brainer that he would want to represent Greece in the Olympics if he had the opportunity, and if he was healthy, “ Zora said on the Hear district podcast. However, she understood the concern of the fans as she knew where it was “coming from specifically.”

“It’s been a couple of playoff appearances in a row where injuries have been the headlines, So I get it. And he’s accomplished so much in his career, he hasn’t been to the Olympics, and this is something that means a lot to him when it is family and loyalty, right? And Greece is part of that.” Getting right back to the concern from the fans, Zora addressed, “You know, all the people that helped take care of Giannis’ body were readily available. So Bucks rest assured that he’s got what he needs to take care of his body.”

It was like a soothing assurance from an ex-Bucks insider. In Marques Johnson’s words, Giannis’ “traveling party” made it possible for the Greek Freak to own the court at the Paris Olympics and be Greece’s flag bearer.

If not for the Paris Olympics, Giannis Antetokounmpo could not have had the chance to bear Greece’s flag!

Reportedly, Giannis could not get a passport for Greece until he made it to the NBA. His parents illegally moved to Athens from Lagos in 1991. He was born in 1994 in Greece itself. Yet he was unable to get the passport until he was 19 years old. Before the 2013 NBA Draft, no one in Greek authorities foresaw Giannis Antetokounmpo becoming the face of Greece in the league. Eventually, the Greece Basketball Federation asked authorities to expedite the red tape.

Yet, the process stalled for a long time. It was only after the nation realized that Giannis was turning to Nigerian citizenship that authorities took the matter in hand. Also, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s NBA potential caught the eye of the local authorities. Moving with the motivation, they delivered 2x NBA All-Star papers on May 9, 2013, just 39 days before the 2013 NBA draft. That’s why the moment was more than extraordinary for the Bucks star when he took the Greece flag in his hands at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.

“It was the biggest assignment I have ever done in my life. …I might win another championship, but I might never carry the flag again, “ Giannis expressed his joy on the exemplary moment.

Feel that you can do with another update from the sport of basketball? Then do check out this recent interview with the up-and-coming Georgia Lady Bulldogs star Asia Avinger.