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NBA Star Makes Giannis Antetokounmpo Statement After Greece vs. Spain

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece are winless in the Paris Olympics

Joey Linn

Jul 30, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; Greece small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) reacts against Spain in a men's basketball group stage match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
Jul 30, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; Greece small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) reacts against Spain in a men's basketball group stage match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
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The Paris Olympics are underway, and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is playing for Greece. While the two-time MVP has performed well in Paris, his team is winless through two Group Phase games. This includes a loss to Spain on Tuesday, a game in which Antetokounmpo led all scorers with 27 points.

It was Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama who led the way for Spain in this game, finishing with 19 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, and three blocks. An NBA veteran, Aldama is the leader of Spain's roster for these Olympics, and showed exactly why in this big win over Spain.

While Aldama led his team to victory behind an impressive individual performance, he was also on the wrong end of a Giannis Antetokounmpo dunk. Late to contest the Bucks star at the rim, Aldama was put on a poster:

Speaking with reporters after the game (via BasketNews), Aldama said of Antetokounmpo, "There's no true strategy, but for us, it was just packing the paint, being physical, being in front of him. He's a however-many times MVP, he's a great player. There's no recipe to stop him. As I said before, courage - I think that's the word that describes the game."

On the dunk by Antetokounmpo, Aldama told BasketNews, "Posters, all this kind of stuff, it's tough, especially with a guy like him. You just try to make a defensive play. You can either step away or try to block the shot. You probably block it only one out of ten times, but I tried."

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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