Giannis Antetokounmpo is not talking about Greece’s high expectations ahead of EuroBasket in September.
“We can’t talk for a medal, that’s what we always do and we fall short,” he told reporters at the Greek media day in Athens.
“We have to achieve something before [Nick] Calathes, [Kostas] Sloukas and [Kostas] Papanikolaou leave the team. I didn’t win a championship with the Bucks because I was thinking about the NBA title. Step by step, we have to get better.”
The former NBA champion and MVP Antetokounmpo headlines a stacked Greece team full of NBA and EuroLeague players, aiming to medal for the first time since 2009.
“It doesn’t matter what the world expects, it’s what the team expects,” he said.
“In all the competitions I’ve been to with Greece, we didn’t even reach the quarter-finals. We’re not ready for medals or cups. We need to create chemistry and the right atmosphere. Let’s go and do our best.
“I have realistic goals, I need to get better. We have three weeks to bond. I will adapt to what the national team needs from me and not the opposite. Our coach (Dimitris Itoudis) is doing an amazing job and we have to do the best we can.”
Quotes obtained by EuroHoops.
