Βy Vangelis Ioannou/ info@eurohoops.net
Dimitris Itoudis was not happy after the second prep game against Spain however there’s a bigger image and a bigger goal for him, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the Greek national team.
With a project that ultimately aims for the Paris Olympics – and the Olympic Games are the only major competition in which Greece doesn’t have a medal yet – Itoudis is aiming high and Giannis wants to deliver.
While under the previous presidency the Greek federation had its occasional run-ins with the Bucks, under newly elected president Vaggelis Liolios who appointed Itoudis as the head coach, things have changed.
Mike Budenholzer was present in Madrid for the game and he will follow the Greek team to Athens for the upcoming Acropolis tournament. As Itoudis said after the game: “We have already talked via phone with coach Budenholzer and we will have the chance to meet because it’s important to give us some different views about Giannis”.
To be exact the two coaches already met in the WiZink center, where the game between Spain and Madrid was played, however, there’s more to that.
Ο @ItoudisD είχε την ευκαιρία να τα πει με τον προπονητή του @Giannis_An34 και του @Thanasis_ante43 στους @Bucks, Μάικ Μπουντενχόλζερ, ο οποίος θα ακολουθήσει την Εθνική Ανδρών στην Ελλάδα και θα βρίσκεται στο ΟΑΚΑ στο τουρνουά AEGEAN Ακρόπολις (17-19/8). #HellasBasketball 🏀🇬🇷 pic.twitter.com/YJ3tt9bSX7
— Hellenic Basketball (@HellenicBF) August 11, 2022
Milwaukee Bucks assistant Josh Oppenheimer is officially named as a member of the Greek national team staff. Also, Suki Hobson (Head of Strength and Conditioning), Brett Bousquet (physical therapist), Nick Monroe (Head of content), and Tony Bollier (Director of Basketball Operations) have all traveled to Greece to support Giannis and the Greek national team effort.
Here’s Brett Bousquet with Giannis on the official media day of the Greek national team.
Of course, that also means that the Milwaukee Bucks have first-hand information about anything related to Giannis and the Greek national team, a concession that the Greek federation was happy to make, having nothing to hide.
After all, there’s an obvious and strong connection between Milwaukee and Greece due to Giannis and this time around the goal is not the NBA ring, but the Eurobasket trophy, which Greece has already won twice in 1987 and 2005.