Next to Nikola Jokic, the next European top player will be missing from the upcoming Basketball World Cup: Due to knee problems, Giannis Antetokounmpo has to cancel his World Cup participation for Greece.
The top player of the Milwaukee Bucks announced on Friday that he does not feel ready for the World Cup. He said he made the decision together with his medical adviser. The 28-year-old Antetokounmpo had surgery on his left knee in the summer. He had already missed eleven games in the past NBA season because of pain in his left knee.
“Everyone knows that my passion and love for my national team has never changed and never will,” Antetokounmpo wrote on social media. However, he said he had pushed his body to the limits “to be the player I need to be so that our team can achieve the goals we have set.”
At the moment, however, he is unable to play at the level “I need to play at the World Cup”. He added: “It wasn’t a choice, it was my only option to make sure I can get back to the level I’ve earned so far in my career. “
Antetokounmpo: 2024 Olympics a goal
The two-time MVP and 2021 NBA champion had already missed Greece’s preparation and test matches so far. Antetokounmpo was “extremely disappointed”, but at the same time stated the goal of representing his home country again at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. However, Greece still has to qualify for the Games.
Greece will face the USA, Jordan and New Zealand in the World Cup group stage, which begins on 25 August in the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan. The Greek selection will first play all matches in Manila.
Besides the Greek Freak, the newly crowned champion Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets will also be missing from the World Cup. The Serbian justified his cancellation with physical and mental exhaustion. The French top talent Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs) is also absent from the World Cup.
