UNCONTROLLABLE EMOTION: Giannis Antetokounmpo gets emotional as he leads Greece to their first Olympic berth in 16 years with a victory over Croatia

On Sunday, Greece defeated Croatia and Ivica Zubac 80-69 in the championship game of their Olympic qualifying event.

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Giannis Antetokounmpo is participating in his first Olympic Games.

On Sunday in Piraeus, Greece, Antetokounmpo led the Greek national team to victory over Croatia in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament final, 80-69. For the first time in sixteen years, Greece’s victory guaranteed them a place in the Olympics.

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When the Milwaukee Bucks player realised he would be visiting Paris later this month, he was understandably emotional on the court.

Greek national team player Antetokounmpo has been a stalwart for years, although the squad has generally failed in international competition. His parents relocated to Greece, where he was born. But this summer, they won all four of the qualifying events that were being held to choose the remaining athletes who would compete in the Olympics in Paris. May be an image of 5 people, people playing basketball, basketball jersey and text

In their decisive 28-point victory over Luka Dončić and Slovenia in the semifinals on Saturday, Antetokounmpo scored 13 points. Slovenia, who placed fourth at the 2020 Olympics, will now be absent from these competitions entirely. Against Croatia on Sunday, Antetokounmpo ended with 23 points and eight rebounds. The team was led by veteran Los Angeles Clippers centre Ivica Zubac.

For the first time since 2008, when China eliminated them in the quarterfinals, Greece will now be able to compete in the Olympics.

In order to secure seats in Paris, Brazil, Puerto Rico, and Spain each won their individual qualifying tournaments. Germany, France, USA, Australia, Canada, South Sudan, Japan, and Serbia had previously earned qualification.

With the Milwaukee Bucks, Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 points and 11.5 rebounds per game last season. However, the team was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs for the second consecutive year despite hiring Doc Rivers as head coach in the middle of the season.

Greece, Canada, Australia, and Spain will compete in Group A in Paris alongside Antetokounmpo. On July 27, they will play their first matchup with Canada.