The Senior Editor of SPORT24 answers your questions before Giannis and Greece partake in the Olympics
Welcome back to the latest installment of our Questions and Antlers Milwaukee Bucks mailbag series! A few days ago, we opened the gates for some questions for Harris Stavrou, a Greek reporter for SPORT24 who has covered Giannis’ career since the very beginning. It’s an exciting time for the country, as Giannis and the Greek basketball team have qualified for the Olympics for the first time since 2008 — and Harris will be on site for all the coverage.
With the Opening Ceremony kicking things off in Paris today, let’s not waste any more time and dive right into it!
Brew Hoop asks: When did you first learn of Giannis? Where did you first watch him play basketball? What was your first conversation with him like?
The first time i heard about Giannis was back in 2011. People were talking about Thanasis but somebody told me, “watch out for his younger brother.” I first watched him in the U18 regional championships and I will never forget the games between his team, Filathlitikos and Panathinaikos. The rivalry was insane, the small gyms were always packed and these games really helped Giannis understand what he needed to do in order to excel and always be a step ahead of the competition. But, my favorite game of him in Greece was his last one, when his team lost in the third OT in an away game against Nea Kifisia and lost the chance to advance in the first division. The first real conversation between us was in a LIVE CHAT on SPORT24, days after he got drafted by the Bucks. He was shy, he was still a kid.
Mitchell Maurer asks: Ooh, this is an exciting opportunity! Thanks for dropping by, Harris! A bunch of people are going to ask about stories from the past; I want to ask about the future. What does the post-Giannis era look like for Greek basketball? He’s still in the prime of his career…but he turns 30 in December. When the next Olympics hit, he’ll be 34. It’s not reasonable to expect him to maintain such a lengthy plateau of elite play a la LeBron James (the only other player I can recall who’s done so, in the NBA at least, is Kareem), so what might that transitionary period look like? (I welcome all Bucks fans to answer this from an NBA-centric perspective.)
Given the fact that he will be almost 34 in the next Olympic Games, for sure we should think about the post-Giannis era. But we have the EuroBasket in 2025 and the World Cup in 2027, so I really don’t feel comfortable to think about the future without him in the team. Of course, we know it might be hard for him to play in both tournaments, but I’m always optimistic and I’m always dreaming of Giannis playing for the National Team. With his appearance this summer, he has 8/10 with the team since 2013. He only missed two tournaments because of his knee problem in 2017 and his knee procedure last summer. Hopefully in the next 2-3 years, we will have some guys who will be able to contribute around him and around the other veterans, so the transition will be as smooth as possible for everybody.
Brew Hoop asks: How do you think Giannis’ legacy will continue to develop Greek basketball once he’s retired?
Usually, it takes 10-15 years to realize how big of an impact players like Giannis have to the kids. Greece won the EuroBasket in 1987 and because of that team with Galis, Giannakis, Fanis and Fasoulas, we had another great team from 2004 to 2009 with Spanoulis, Diamantidis, Papaloukas, Kakiouzis, Dikoudis, Schortsanitis etc. Most of these guys were inspired by the 1987 team and most of these guys inspired the 20-25 year old players in the country. I really hope Giannis’ legacy will continue to develop, as you said, and his story, his journey from nothing to the top of the basketball world, will be the example for decades.
stoneAge asks: Coach Spanoulis is doing an excellent job, which to me was unexpected. What does he different? How does he play Giannis different? I know this Giannis game can’t fully translate to the NBA, but what lessons should the Bucks and Giannis take from this?
Spanoulis is a tough skinned coach, because he demands 100% from his players in every practice and in every game. Something that Giannis loves, because he wants, he needs and he asks to be coached hard. Spanoulis loves Giannis and Giannis respects Spanoulis as he was watching him play as a kid, so their relationship is very smooth in and out of the court. What Spanoulis wants, is Giannis to be a part of the team instead of Giannis trying to do everything. He said that Antetokounmpo should feel comfortable with his teammates, but that his teammates have to feel comfortable around him too. Giannis is not the guy who is going to demand anything, so he is trying to do everything to help the team win even if sometimes it feels like he is ready to destroy everybody. He is not forcing shots, he is always trying to find the open man, he always trying to give a boost of confidence in certain guys like Papagiannis — of course, he is not even close to 100% right now. To answer about Spanoulis, of course he is very different than a typical NBA coach and very different than every coach Giannis had in the past. He is a EuroLeague legend, he is still “young” in coaching (two seasons with Peristeri), he is very energetic, he is pushing everybody 24/7, he is loud, but the most important is that he is inspiring everybody around him to do more, to try more, to play also for him.
Brew Hoop asks: Have you noticed an uptick in youth basketball involvement and development in Greece following Giannis’ rise to stardom?
Giannis is huge for Greek basketball, but as I said, it usually needs 10-15 years to realize how big of an impact a player has to the youth. Of course, you see Bucks jerseys and t-shirts around Athens and in every part of the country, which means that kids really follow Antetokounmpo even if it’s VERY difficult to stay up at 2 a.m., 3 a.m., 4 a.m., 5 a.m. to watch him play live.
stoneAge asks: Do you know any of Thanasis plans for the upcoming season? Will he stay in Greece?
He is recovering and he is still on a walking boot. He is in France with the team and he will be back in Greece to continue working here for the next months. He will need some time to be back in the court, so he is probably not rushing anything right now.
Brew Hoop asks: How long do you think Giannis will play before he retires? How many more championships do you think he’ll win with the Bucks?
I feel that 20 seasons is the minimum goal for him. The only thing he needs is to stay healthy. He will never stop working, he will never stop challenging himself, and he will never be satisfied. I really hope he will have more chances for another ring or two or more, but as we saw during these last playoff runs, Bucks were never healthy and that’s what they need in order to have a real shot for the title.
Brew Hoop asks: Do you think Giannis will remain in Milwaukee for the entirety of his career or eventually leave for a bigger market?
I would love to see Giannis do a “Kobe” or a “Dirk” and stay in Milwaukee forever, but as the years go by, I always say that the most important is to see people and their families happy. If he is happy in Milwaukee, we are all happy. If he feels that he needs a new challenge, a change for him and for his family, we should respect it and again be happy to see him happy. He has done everything for this organization and for this city, he will do more and even if it’s for one season or for ten more seasons — his legacy will never change. He is the best in Bucks history and it’s gonna be very tough for somebody to beat him and take his throne.
A big thanks to Harris for taking the time to answer these questions. It’s going to be very exciting to watch Giannis and Greece take part in this year’s Olympics, which Harris will be on hand to cover. You can follow him on X here. Additionally, keep it dialed into Brew Hoop for all things Greek-related in the Olympics, as we’ll be covering their journey along the way.