Almost four months without basketball didn't stop Giannis Antetokounmpo from being at his best as he returned to action with the Greece national team in Wednesday's 104-86 victory over Latvia.
The two-time MVP started on fire, and there were no signs of him slowing down as he finished with 25 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks in just 15 minutes. Kristaps Porzingis and his teammates had no answer, with Giannis ending the first half with 20 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks, and a steal in just 10 minutes on the floor.
It took Giannis just one half to remind us why he is one of the best players in the world.
Giannis ramping up ahead of EuroBasket
All summer long, we have had to deal with discussions about Giannis' future with the Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis has consistently expressed his desire to stay. These games with Greece provide him with the perfect opportunity to ignore the noise and get into full flow ahead of a huge NBA season.
Porzingis has been a thorn in the Bucks' side with the Boston Celtics in recent years, but that didn't bother Giannis. Two minutes in, he fought through contact from the Latvian center to finish at the basket to take his tally to seven points in just two minutes.
His highlight of the win was in the second quarter, where he used his trademark spin move into a dunk, before showing his excitement to be back on the court with a beaming smile.
It is the first international competition that Greece has had a fully healthy Giannis for in a few years, following injuries late in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons hampering his return for his national side.
There has been talk around the Milwaukee Bucks that Giannis may be used as the main offensive initiator in a 'Point Giannis' role. Greece is without veteran guard Nick Calathes, so we saw this implemented on several occasions in the victory over Latvia. Whether it was from Giannis grabbing a rebound or a teammate crashing the glass, he was handed the ball in the backcourt and was pushing the tempo to draw the Latvia defense towards him, opening the door for teammates from 3-point range.
The gravity of Giannis just makes the game easier, as seen in Milwaukee. Giannoulis Larentzakis was 4-of-7 from deep, and Alexandros Samontourov was 3-of-3. It doesn't always have to be from a Giannis assist, but this idea would open the game for the likes of AJ Green and Gary Trent Jr. to find their spots and rain down shots.
Giannis is already playing at an MVP level despite the long time off the court. They have two more warm-up games against Italy and France before EuroBasket officially kicks off on August 27. Greece's first group game is against Italy, a day later on August 28th at 1:30 p.m. CST.
We will have all the updates as Giannis and Greece aim to become European champions.