"Grew up together": Greek reporter defends Giannis Antetokounmpo for slapping teammate with video evidence of relationship

FIBA Men
Greek reporter defends Giannis Antetokounmpo (Credits: Getty)

Greek reporter Harris Stavrou came to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s defense after a video of the Milwaukee Bucks superstar slapping his teammate went viral on social media.

Ad

With EuroBasket 2025 less than 10 days away, Antetokounmpo is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. The Bucks superstar joined the Greece national team earlier this month for exhibition games ahead of EuroBasket 2025. After Thursday's game against Montenegro, Antetokounmpo joined the huddle, where he was seen slapping Giannoulis Larentzakis on the back of his head.

Ad

According to Harris Stavrou, this was a lighthearted moment between two friends who grew up playing together. Stavrou also attached a video of Larentzakis slapping Giannis during a game for Greece.

Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.

"Antetokounmpo and Larentzakis grew up together," he wrote on X. "They are playing for Greece since 2013, when they competed in the EuroBasket U20 in Estonia. As you can see, they are having fun together for a very long time."
Ad
Ad

The video also showed a different angle of Antetokounmpo’s head slap. Larentzakis can be seen smiling after being struck by the NBA superstar.


2025 playoff upset marks Giannis Antetokounmpo's third straight first-round exit

The Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated from the 2025 NBA playoffs after losing their first-round series to the Indiana Pacers. It marked Giannis Antetokounmpo's third straight first-round exit, having lost at the same stage to the Pacers in 2024 and the Heat in 2023.

Milwaukee has made some bold moves in the offseason, releasing Lillard and bringing in Myles Turner. If Giannis fails to lead the team past the first round with a new supporting cast around him, his exit from Milwaukee could become a real possibility.

Quick Links

Edited by Sameer Khan
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
down arrow icon
More
bell-icon Manage notifications