Giannis Antetokounmpo, after Greece’s game against Belgium in the packed OAKA, signed his shirt and handed it over to a fan of the national team who has mobility problems.
He was eagerly waiting for him and the NBA champion of course responded to his request and not only gave him his signed jersey but proudly took a photo with him!
Giannis is both a leading example as a professional sports star and as a person.
In the sold-out OAKA arena where more than 19,000 fans have gathered to see the biggest basketball star of their country, Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered a dominant performance as Greece (4-2) eased past Belgium (3-3) 85-68 (30-15, 19-18, 15-11, 21-24) in the Second Round of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers.
The Greek Freek scored 26 points on 11-for-17 shooting, grabbed 7 rebounds, and stole 2 balls for a combined 22 PIR. Tyler Dorsey added 22 points on efficient 7-for-11 shooting for 24 PIR.
The initiative belonged to the home team from the very beginning with Greece starting the match with a 9-2 run. Following a Kostas Papanikolaou layup, the lead increased to 19 (28-9), and the favorites never looked back.
Although Belgium tried to mount a comeback several times during the game, all efforts were ultimately denied.
All 12 players on the Greek roster appeared on the court. Interestingly though, only 7 of them scored. Almost half of Greece’s points (42) came in the paint.