Giannis Antetokounmpo will not play for Greece in the upcoming FIBA window, in which the country faces Ukraine and Spain in its bid to qualify for the 2027 World Cup, the Greek basketball federation announced on Tuesday.
The Greek federation said in a statement on its website that both the EOK (Greek Basketball Federation) and national coach Vassilis Spanoulis had asked for Giannis's help in this window, but it was not possible given the particular moment, with the start of a new chapter in his career.
Impact on Greece's standing
The absence of the new Miami Heat center is a significant blow for the team led by Vassilis Spanoulis, which sits in fifth place, outside direct qualification, with 3 wins and 3 losses in Group I.
Spain leads the group with a 5-1 record. Ukraine is second at 4-2, followed by Montenegro at 4-2, Portugal at 3-3, and Georgia in last place at 3-3, ahead of the next World Cup, which will be held in Qatar in 2027.
Upcoming qualifiers
Greece will begin its training camp on Friday, August 14, to prepare for two qualifying matches with no room for error, facing Ukraine in Riga on August 28 and Spain in Athens on August 31.
