Team Greece had already been handed a big setback ahead of this summer’s FIBA World Cup event, when it was announced that two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo had been ruled out due to a seemingly minor knee surgery.
Team Greece will now be without one more Antetokounmpo.
According to Eurohoops, Giannis’ younger brother Kostas, who played for his national club during the 2021 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament and the 2022 EuroBasket competition, will also miss the competition due to an injury.
Only one healthy Antetokounmpo remains on the roster, his older brother Thanasis.
Kostas, a 6’10” power forward, signed a two-way contract with the 2019-20 NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, albeit he only appeared in five regular-season games and did not make the team’s postseason rotation. He later signed a two-way contract with the Lakers and appeared in 15 games during the 2020-21 season. In his three years with the Dallas Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers, he averaged 1.0 points and 1.0 rebounds in 22 games. He signed a two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls but did not play for the team’s NBA squad before continuing his pro career in Turkey and Greece. He is now in the first season of a two-year contract with Greek EuroLeague club Panathinaikos.
Team Greece will face current Los Angeles shooting guard Austin Reaves and the rest of Team USA in Abu Dhabi next Friday.
