Giannis Antetokounmpo: 'Vassilis Spanoulis has changed the way I think about things'

To hear Antetokounmpo tell it, Spanoulis' combination of off-the-charts energy and high IQ is the kind of thing he'll be taking with him into these crucial months ahead. "Spanoulis has changed the way I think about things," said Antetokounmpo, whose team went 1-3 in pool play and had the program's first win at the Olympics in 16 years (over Australia). "My approach to the game. My love for the game. Sometimes, I think, you're in your comfort zone. A lot of people are in a comfort zone, without even wanting to be there. You have to push. You have to demand from yourself, from the people around you. And he did that."

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Sirius XM NBA SiriusXMNBA Tune into The Starting Lineup with & Sabrina Ionescu's Game Winner Giannis' Comments at 9:00am ET Listen Live: sxm.app.link/nbaradiolive Call the Show: 855-NBA-JUMP (855-622-5867) pic.x.com/r4jYMBtQWg – 7:02 AM Eurohoops Eurohoopsnet Giannis Antetokounmpo recalled a challenging conversation he had in the summer with Vassilis Spanoulis "When I was 29, I was the best in Europe. I had back-to-back [EuroLeague championships]. What are you doing?", Greece's head coach motivated him: eurohoops.net/en/nba-news/17... – 6:11 AM Emiliano Carchia Sportando Giannis Antetokounmpo: If we don't win a championship, I might get traded sportando.basketball/en/giannis-ant... – 2:16 AM Sam Amick sam_amick I spent two days at Bucks camp in Southern California chatting with their three most important figures. And pressure aside, this much is clear: Giannis, Dame and Doc all genuinely believe – for different, fascinating reasons – that they'll be much better this time around. The – 12:20 PM Sam Amick sam_amick A candid, comedic conversation with Giannis Antetokounmpo about what might happen in Milwaukee if this high-stakes season doesn't go well. The Bucks' plan – from Giannis to Dame, Doc on down – is to never find out. Much more here, at nytimes.com/athletic/58374... – 11:36 AM Jim Owczarski JimOwczarski A father's lesson, pandemic-induced insecurity and maturity: How the business #Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brothers created will build legacies beyond basketball jsonline.com/story/money/bu... via – 10:44 AM Vincent Goodwill VinceGoodwill The Bucks are built around Giannis. The 76ers are built around Embiid. The Knicks are built solely around Jalen Brunson. Is that a recipe for June? Or are the Knicks deep enough? podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/goo... open.spotify.com/show/1x4wPhSQD... pic.x.com/ZMBvDKhcNO – 12:47 PM Eric Nehm eric_nehm ICYMI: 1-on-1 with Khris Middleton – Individual goals for this season – Fighting the "injury prone" label – Working together with Giannis and Dame "Whatever it takes to win. To me, that's a great season." – Middleton Our conversation, at nytimes.com/athletic/58369... – 12:17 PM Eurohoops Eurohoopsnet "I just think of it as another player" – Matas Buzelis after matching up with Giannis Antetokounmpo in a preseason loss eurohoops.net/en/nba-news/17... – 2:16 AM Jim Owczarski JimOwczarski Giannis gets heated; #Bucks starters dominate third quarter in 111-107 win over the Bulls jsonline.com/story/sports/n... via – 12:11 AM KC Johnson KCJHoop Matas Buzelis on Giannis matchup: "I just think of it as another player. I know who he is of course. But when we step on the court, it's 0-0. He's a tough cover. He's really strong, tall, athletic, does everything on the court. But I'm going to compete all the time." – 10:59 PM Eric Nehm eric_nehm If that's it for the night for Lillard, the accounting for the starters tonight: – Antetokounmpo 24pts/10reb/4ast (23min) – Lillard 20pts/5reb/9ast (27min) – Lopez 11pts/4reb/4blk (25min) – Trent 10pts/2reb/2stl (26min) – Prince 3pts/4reb/2stl (21min) – 9:53 PM StatMuse statmuse Giannis tonight: 24 PTS (23 MIN) 10 REB Ready for the season. pic.x.com/6hO1WzLAw6 – 9:48 PM Eric Nehm eric_nehm Third quarter starters for the Bucks are tonight's starters. – Lillard, Trent, Prince, Antetokounmpo, Lopez – 9:25 PM Eric Nehm eric_nehm Half: Bulls 68, Bucks 59 – Antetokounmpo 18pts/8reb/4ast – Lillard 13pts/2reb/5ast – Trent 8pts/2reb – 9:10 PM Chuck Swirsky ctsbulls Unnecessary contact for Giannis—Buzelis airborne -flagrant 1 on Giannis. – 9:07 PM Eric Nehm eric_nehm Giannis Antetokounmpo's foul on Matas Buzelis was just reviewed for a flagrant act. Flagrant 1 on Antetokounmpo. – 9:06 PM Chuck Swirsky ctsbulls Giannis picks up his 3rd foul as Buzelis is fearless to the hoop...Officials looking at a possible tech on Giannis on contact on Buzelis. – 9:06 PM KC Johnson KCJHoop Buzelis keeps attacking. Tried another dunk and fouled by Giannis from behind. Upgraded to flagrant-1 following review. – 9:06 PM Eric Nehm eric_nehm The Bucks have gotten out on the run a little bit here in the second quarter, but still trail, 47-39, with 7:45 left in. the first half. Giannis Antetokounmpo has 12 points, six rebounds and three assists in 13 minutes. – 8:49 PM Chuck Swirsky ctsbulls Buzelis is doing a terrific job...we know he hoops—his energy is fabulous–he has a 3-......–and a dunk on Giannis. – 8:48 PM Eric Nehm eric_nehm After one quarter, the Bulls lead, 34-24. Damian Lillard leads the way for the Bucks with 8pts/2reb/3ast. Giannis Antetokounmpo has 7pts/3reb/2ast. – 8:38 PM KC Johnson KCJHoop Matas Buzelis just dunked with an and-one after foul by GIannis. Would like to see Buzelis matched up with Giannis at other end but EJ Liddell has that assignment for now – 8:34 PM Julia Poe byjuliapoe this preseason game has everything — Giannis squaring up to Giddey, Kenny Lofton Jr. minutes, Adama Sanogo threes pic.x.com/EfZVCUHn31 – 8:31 PM Eric Nehm eric_nehm The Bucks lead, 14-7, with 6:20 left in the first quarter. Giannis Antetokounmpo has five points, three rebounds and two assists in six minutes. – 8:22 PM Chuck Swirsky ctsbulls Giddey with a foul on Giannis –dead ball tech foul on Giannis for a physical taunt. Let them play please! – 8:20 PM Joe Cowley JCowleyHoops Giannis has no respect for the Young Bulls! – 8:19 PM Eric Nehm eric_nehm Officials are going to the monitor after that sequence. Second possession in the last few minutes that Josh Giddey has committed a hard foul on Giannis Antetokounmpo. And Antetokounmpo did not appreciate it. – 8:19 PM Eric Nehm eric_nehm Giannis Antetokounmpo hands off to Damian Lillard and Lillard drains a jumper on the game's first possession. Off we go in Milwaukee... – 8:11 PM

More on this storyline

"Every day, it was something else. He would just push me and push me and push me and push me, (saying) 'You've got more to give. Come on. When I was 29, I was the best in Europe. I had back-to-back (championships). What are you doing?' "All this conversation made me realize that I crave the challenge again," added Antetokounmpo. "Of course, it pisses you off, but it puts you in the mood where you're like, 'Wait, I'm going to show you.' You don't want to let (Spanoulis) down. Like (with the Bucks), I don't want to let Doc Rivers down. I don't want to let Dame down. I don't want to let my team down." -via New York Times / October 17, 2024 Sam Amick: Can Giannis stay healthy? Can Dame have a bounce-back season? Will Doc be able to bring them all together? There is serious pressure in Milwaukee this season, and Giannis Antetokounmpo knows it as much as anyone. "Yeah, if we don't win a championship, I might get traded," he tells -via Twitter / October 16, 2024 Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo also gets mentioned, of course, but that frankly sounds more like wishful thinking from teams hoping — as teams have in the past — that the Bucks unravel to the point that the two-time MVP eventually decides to force his way out. -via marcstein.substack.com / October 11, 2024 Still, the effort of Greece and the way they made it a one-possession game in the closing seconds didn't go unnoticed by coach Vassilis Spanoulis: "We never give up and we are one of the best teams in the world. We are fighting until the end and we are making everyone proud. That's why we will qualify for the next round because we deserve it". -via EuroHoops.net / July 27, 2024