The Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Greece team has advanced to the quarterfinals of EuroBasket 2025.
Giannis Antetokounmpo reminded fans of his dominance during Greece’s 84-79 win over Israel in their round of 16 matchup at the 2025 EuroBasket.
The Greek Freak finished the night with a monster double-double, thanks to 37 points and 10 rebounds. He also shot a dominant 18-of-23 from the field.
The Milwaukee Bucks star also won the hearts of fans with his postgame gesture directed at Israel’s Deni Avdija.
Photo by Marcin Golba/NurPhoto via Getty ImagesDeni Avdija on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s ‘compliments’
Avdija gave it his all by scoring 22 points for Israel, but it wasn’t enough to fend off Antetokounmpo and the Greek basketball team.
After the game, Antetokounmpo was captured appreciating the Portland Trail Blazers forward. Avdija revealed what Giannis did following Israel’s heartbreaking loss.
“Giannis gave me very nice and touching compliments, these are compliments from a player who works very hard and has a very good reputation in the league,” Avdija said via in.gr.
He added: “I won’t go into details about what he said, but it’s certainly touching.”
Well, it seems like Antetokounmpo’s message will remain a secret for now, but it’s fair to assume that the Bucks star appreciated the 24-year-old’s performance.
Giannis Antetokounmpo approaches Deni Avdija, hugs with him, and talks to him, after Greece defeated Israel in the Round of 16 and qualified to the EuroBasket 2025 quarter finals
You can sense that Giannis thinks highly of Deni Avdijapic.twitter.com/KLFVblmhwi
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) September 8, 2025
View Tweet
Deni Avdija reflects on his future
With Israel knocked out of the tournament, Avdija will now focus on training for the 2025-26 NBA season with the Trail Blazers.
But is the 6’9″ forward’s spirit down ahead of the new season? Certainly not.
“Every player has their own qualities, I have a very long career and the potential to become much better than I am – I believe in that 100%,” Avdija confidently stated.
“We had a good tournament and I did everything I could,” he concluded.
Avdija took a leap last season, averaging 16.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game for the Trail Blazers.