After Turkey’s win against Greece in the EuroBasket semifinals, Alperen Sengun spoke to the media about how Turkey contained two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, holding him to 12 points in a 94-68 blowout.
“He’s not a great passer. He’s an amazing player, you know, but he’s not a great passer. So we just tried to help and jump to close the paint,” said Sengun.
While Antetokounmpo isn’t known first for his passing, he’s come a long way. After averaging 1.9 assists in his rookie season, Giannis tied a career high with 6.5 assists for the Bucks last season and has averaged 5.0 assists per game across his 12-year career.
Following Greece’s bronze medal victory against Finland, he responded to Sengun’s comments. “I’m a guy who doesn’t like to talk a lot. You know, I let my game talk,” Giannis said, adding: “I’m going to my 13th season in the NBA. I’ve won everything. Everything.”
Greek head coach and all-time EuroLeague leading scorer Vassilis Spanoulis had a much sharper reaction: “Sengun is a very, very small kid to talk about Giannis.”
While Sengun’s comments didn’t appear to carry ill will, critiquing a star after a lopsided victory — especially an all-time great like Antetokounmpo — won’t always go over smoothly.
The two players won’t have to wait long for another matchup. Giannis’ Milwaukee Bucks face Sengun’s Houston Rockets on Nov. 9, with a second and final regular-season meeting set for April 1, 2026 — dates Giannis may have already circled on his calendar.