Giannis Antetokounmpo will lead Team Greece and the country’s athletes during the Opening Ceremonies in Paris.
LeBron James recently earned the distinction of becoming the first men’s basketball player to lead the U.S. Olympic contingent into the Opening Ceremonies, he won’t be the only NBA player heading up his country’s athletes in Paris.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) and Dennis Schroder (Germany) were selected as flag bearers. Each will make history as the first Black athlete to carry their respective country’s flags.
The Bucks forward helped Greece lock up a spot in Paris, winning one of four Olympic Qualifying Tournaments with an emotional victory over Croatia. It will mark his Olympic debut, as the upcoming Games will be the first for Greece men’s basketball since 2008.
The Milwaukee Bucks Basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo 🏀and the race walker Antigoni Drisbioti 🚶♀️will be the flag-bearers for #Greece at the Paris Olympic Games. 🇬🇷@Giannis_An34, @Paris2024, @HellenicOlympic #Olympics2024 pic.twitter.com/x4sJzOMqbv
— Embassy of Greece in the US🇬🇷 (@GreeceInUSA) July 12, 2024
Schroder led Germany to an undefeated 8-0 run through the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, culminating with a win over Serbia in the gold medal game. They had previously knocked off Team USA in the semifinal.
With 28 points in the final, Schroder capped an impressive run as TISSOT MVP, averaging 19.1 points and 6.1 assists per game. This will mark Year Three of a three-year commitment made by the players to the national program, with expectations riding high entering Paris.
