Everyone knows the dominant force that Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the basketball court - though it feels like he's become severely underrated even in that regard. What people might not catch on to as easily is his vocal presence. The Greek Freak is known for his quips and dad jokes, but he also knows how to motivate and rally those around him when it's time.
With Giannis currently representing Greece at EuroBasket, coach Vassilis Spanoulis has noticed just how vocal his star player has been. He told reporters, "Giannis is one of the most humble leaders. This year he is more vocal than I’ve ever seen him.” It's working, as Greece is still alive and fighting. It's the first time in 16 years that Greece has qualified for the EuroBasket Semifinals.
Giannis' vocal leadership has always been there
When discussing Giannis' vocal presence and leadership, the one clip that always resurfaces comes from the 2021 NBA Finals. On the cusp of finally breaking through and securing the prestigious title, Antetokounmpo was visibly fired up, doing everything to motivate his teammates in the huddle. It's the type of leadership teams crave from their star players. Giannis is one of the best out there at that.
Giannis bringing that intensity in the huddle 🗣
— ESPN (@espn) July 9, 2021
Need that leadership in the Finals. pic.twitter.com/HLBeajsc1K
Beyond just the yelling and motivating, Giannis knows how to be a leader in other ways. For instance, following the Milwaukee Bucks' NBA Cup win over the OKC Thunder, Giannis didn't talk about himself. Instead, he spoke about then two-way big man Liam Robbins and how happy he was that the young rookie was now able to get himself a house with the prize money.
"Our two-way guy, Liam, I promised him from the first cup game, I said, 'We're gonna go all the way and get you a house in Iowa.' So after every game, I would say, 'Hey, one step closer to your house in Iowa.'"
That's leadership right there. Rarely do star players talk about the two-way guys at the bottom of the depth chart.
In addition to being a leader, Giannis is not just participating in EuroBasket; he's dominating his foes. Thus far, the Greek Freak is shooting 29.8 points, nine rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while hitting a ridiculous 70.2 percent of his shots. Just like last NBA season, the mid-range is looking smooth for Greece, showing that Giannis' latest weapon might be here to stay.
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