Giannis Antetokounmpo almost led Greece to an improbable bronze medal finish at the 2025 EuroBasket.
The Greek superstar scored 30 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, leading Greece to a 92-89 win over Finland in the bronze medal game. This marked Greece’s first EuroBasket medal since winning bronze in 2009.
Antetokounmpo, who is a former NBA Champion and NBA Finals MVP, even acknowledged that this bronze medal win was ‘one of the biggest accomplishments’ he’s ever had as an athlete.
The 30-year-old now looks to take this momentum and help lead the Bucks to a strong season.
Photo by Massimo Ceretti/FIBA via Getty ImagesRamona Shelburne thinks Giannis Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee Bucks ‘could find themselves in a conference final’
The Bucks are coming into this season with low expectations, after the team shockingly decided to waive Damian Lillard during the offseason.
The move did allow the Bucks to sign Myles Turner, but still, Milwaukee isn’t considered one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
However, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne thinks things can break right for Antetokounmpo and the Bucks just as they did for him and Greece.
“Look, it was unlikely for Greece to medal here, just like it is probably unlikely for the Milwaukee Bucks to win another title as currently constructed.
“But the reason why [Greece] won is that things just broke right. I mean, who would have thought they would finish ahead of Serbia or even Slovenia there?
“There are a lot of really good teams in the EuroBasket that the Greeks finished ahead of, and I think the Bucks can do the same thing because they did go all out this summer as best they could, she added.
Photo by Jeremy Chen/Getty Images
“They went and got Myles Turner. I think Kyle Kuzma is going to be better. He had a really rough adjustment coming over there. He couldn’t be much worse, so the only way is up.
“I just think this team being together with the pressure of knowing that Giannis wants to win and the stakes here, I think he’s going to be highly motivated going into the season, and look at this Eastern Conference, she continued.
“If things break right, maybe they don’t have to take out the Cavs. Maybe they don’t have to take out the Orlando Magic.
“If things break right, just like they did at this EuroBasket, they could find themselves in a conference final.”
How Giannis Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee Bucks stack up in the East
The Bucks aren’t considered a championship contender this season, but that doesn’t mean they can’t sneak up on the competition, especially if Antetokounmpo has an MVP type season.
The East is believed to be wide open this year with the Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics expected to take a step back with their respective injuries to Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum.
The New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers along with the Orlando Magic appear to be the top three teams in the conference. After that, there’s an opportunity for a bunch of teams to get a top four spot, including Milwaukee.
If the Bucks get a favorable seed and avoid a team like the Knicks in the playoffs, they could end up having a deep run.