NBA denies Greece's claim of plot to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo from Eurobasket
The NBA stayed to the point in their response to the Greek basketball federation
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1 min read
The NBA has denied a claim from the Greek basketball federation that the Bucks have been plotting a way to prevent star Giannis Antetokounmpo from playing in Eurobasket 2017. Antetokounmpo was expected to play a big role in Greece's attempt to win their first gold in Eurobasket since 2005
However, a knee injury has forced Giannis to sit out. According to Antetokounmpo's Facebook, the pain became too much to play through and Milwaukee made the call to have him sit out the remainder of the offseason. Greece doesn't believe this to be entirely genuine based on the lack of formality in the announcements. The NBA disagrees.
The Greek Basketball Federation has released a strongly worded statement regarding Antetokounmpo. Here is the English translation: pic.twitter.com/TPhQGFcNrz
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) August 19, 2017
NBA denies Greek basketball federation claim of a plot to keep Giannis from playing in Eurobasket. Statement: pic.twitter.com/bPF526buCW
— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) August 20, 2017
It sounds like Greece is upset with how the Bucks chose to announce Antetokounmpo's status. However, to claim that he was pressured into not playing is a very serious charge.
It's a shame that Giannis won't be able to play in Eurobasket, but it wouldn't be great for anybody if he entered the season in October with a lingering knee injury. The Bucks made a choice that was in the best interest of not only the team but Antetokounmpo's long-term health.
