Due to a calf strain that he sustained in April, Antetokounmpo was unable to play in the Bucks’ six-game first-round postseason series loss to the Indiana Pacers or the remainder of the regular season.
Although Antetokounmpo was not able to participate in a high-stakes basketball game in May, it appears that he will have the opportunity to do so in July. The head coach of the Greek national team, Vasilis Spanoulis, said Antetokounmpo will participate in a qualifying competition for the Summer Olympics in early July.
Since the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing, China, where Antetokounmpo was just 14 years old and Spanoulis was still playing for the squad rather than coaching it, the Greek national team has not participated in an Olympic competition. Greece advanced to the knockout round of that tournament after going 3-2 in group play, where they were defeated 80-78 by Argentina in a thrilling match.
Although it’s fantastic that Antetokounmpo would try to encourage his countrymen to compete in the Olympics, getting them invited will be difficult. In the upcoming event, only one team will be able to qualify for the Olympics, and in this instance, the route to Paris will probably include defeating Luka Dončić and the Slovenian national team. In addition, the Dominican Republic, Croatia, Egypt, and New Zealand will all be vying for an Olympic berth.
Despite Dončić’s formidable opponent, it remains uncertain if he will represent Slovenia considering the Dallas Mavericks’ current NBA Finals run. In the event that the series goes seven games, June 23 would be the date of the Finals’ conclusion, giving Dončić little time to heal and prepare for his return to the national team.
Slovenia is grouped against Greece going into the competition. Basketball fans may be treated to a duel between Antetokounmpo and Dončić with an Olympic spot up for grabs if both teams can handle business and win their group in the first round.
There is no lack of star power at the Olympics with a number of NBA stars scheduled to play in Paris this summer.
There’ll be plenty of amazing basketball at the 2018 Olympics, even if neither Dončić nor Antetokounmpo go past their next qualifying round.
With LeBron James and company returning for more, and big man Joel Embiid making his Olympic debut, Team USA is once again loaded.
The home side, France, will also have a strong squad, led by centers Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert, who could challenge for the gold medal in front of their supporters.
The Opening Ceremony of the Summer Olympics takes place in Paris, France, on July 23. Depending on how they perform in their qualifying round, Antetokounmpo and Greece may or may not attend.
