During a media conference about the 2022 EuroBasket, legendary Greek basketball player and FIBA Hall of Famer Panagiotis Giannakis proclaimed Giannis Antetokounmpo the greatest Greek player ever, according to Johnny Askounis for Eurohoops.

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After winning the NBA title and being voted NBA MVP, he is [the greatest Greek player ever]. He was trusted and depended upon by a full franchise. When asked where he personally ranks the Greek Freak, he said, “That alone is proof enough. We must be patient to enjoy his immediate contribution on our side (Ed. Greek national team).” This child has given hope for a better future to children all throughout the world. He earns this title even if he hasn’t had much success on a global scale yet. Giannakis is said to have said.

When the Greek national team beat the Soviet Union 103-101 to take out the FIBA EuroBasket 1987 championship.

Giannakis was one of the four major players of the illustrious Greece men’s national basketball team from the late 1980s that helped put the country on the map for basketball in the world, together with Nikos Galis, Panagiotis Fasoulas, and Fanis Christodoulou. When Greece won the gold medal in the 1987 EuroBasket, he led the team. Two years later, they finished second in the same tournament. Giannakis was also a key player for Greece’s men’s national team, which advanced to the semifinals of the FIBA World Cup in 1994 and the EuroBasket in 1993 and 1995.

“Giannis is constantly trying to improve. His growth is evident when compared to his prior participation in a significant international tournament, particularly following his NBA championship win and elevation to NBA MVP. Naturally, he is stronger and has more experience. In a conversation with the Greek state-run television network ERT, Giannakis clarified, “He understands what is required to be effective.

“He is a young person who aspires to do better every day. That explains his success and the reason he feels at ease competing outside of the USA, in Europe and other international FIBA championships.

Giannakis and Nikos Galis were both inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame.