By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Giannis Antetokounmpo gave an interview to Sport24 after winning the bronze medal with Greece at EuroBasket 2025.
Asked whether he could ever see himself playing for a European club, the two-time NBA MVP said he would have no problem with it — as long as the right conditions and timing were in place.
“Yes. Last year, after the Olympic Qualifiers, I was sitting with Thanasis watching some highlights and I said, ‘Bro, Thanasis…’ He looked at me like I was crazy. Like, ‘The best player in the world – or one of the best players in the world – would come play in Europe?’” Giannis said.
He believes others would do the same if the right opportunity arrived.
“Of course it can happen. If you told Jokic that he would earn roughly the same money and be back home in Serbia, he would do it. For me, I think a lot about my body. The money is very different, and not just the money – the whole organization is completely different. You’ve been to the NBA, you’ve seen how things work. But every year when I play for the national team, I always end up saying the same thing.”
Giannis shared a personal conversation at home.
“I told my wife, ‘What would you prefer? To stay in Greece or to live in Milwaukee?’ She looked at me and said, ‘Athens. Athens. Athens is good.’ And I told her, ‘Okay, think about it.’ I believe the game here is much more physical. You take more hits, but there aren’t the same bodies to deliver those hits. You know what I mean?”
He admitted the European style has its own edge.
“Yeah, it’s sneakier. A little dirtier. But there’s no Duren from Detroit here. It’s not Adebayo, it’s not Steven Adams. It’s not Zach Edey, not Anthony Davis, not Jaren Jackson. I could keep naming names all night. You take hits here too, but the bodies aren’t the same in Europe. So in a way, it’s less.”
So, is it realistic?
“Yes. Messi went to MLS, he went to Miami. If the right conditions and timing are there, it wouldn’t affect me at all.”
When a remark was made noting that he’d said “Athens or Milwaukee” (rather than naming clubs such as Barcelona or Monaco), Giannis smiled and replied:
“You caught that. You’re smart…”