Did Giannis Antetokounmpo overstep his boundaries with his unproved and overly aggressive slap on a Greece national basketball squad teammate? That’s what many are thinking about the Milwaukee Bucks superstar from a clip making round X.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece basketball team
Aug 6, 2024; Paris, France; Greece small forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) reacts after their loss against Germany during a mens basketball quarterfinal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The Greek Freak is with the national team but he is yet to suit up due to some miscommunication between the Greek Basketball Federation and the Bucks. Instead, he is on the sideline showing energy supporting his teammates.
He is energetic as always and his coach attested to that.
“Giannis brings energy to every practice and every huddle,” head coach Vassilis Spanoulis said.
“His teammates know him and understand his passion.”
That energy might have overflowed and translated into a controversial act from the Greek Freak. The Bucks star became a hot topic over the weekend after being seen slapping a teammate’s head forcefully. Some thought it was too aggressive and unprovoked.
Greece national basketball team
Aug 6, 2024; Paris, France; Greece head coach Vasilis Spanoulis directs players against Germany during a mens basketball quarterfinal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Giannis Antetokounmpo is seen slapping Giannoulis Larentzakis, a player for the Greek national team and Olympiacos. The slap, which appears unprovoked and aggressive, happened as the team prepares for EuroBasket 2025.
(🎥: via giannispan_ @tiktok)
pic.twitter.com/qnbLKEnDak
— SpursRΞPORTΞR (@SpursReporter) August 16, 2025
Ain’t no damn way. Don’t care who you are https://t.co/cuZO0wJU0I
— Jamie (@js3kbullies) August 17, 2025
The teammate was later identified as Giannoulis Larentzakis who has been in the national team as long as Giannis.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s slap has new angle
What people felt about the video could be valid. However, it is advisable to net get trapped by it.
Two new angles provided by MrBuckBuckNBA on X showed what happened might not be a big deal between teammates.
“Alternate angles of the Giannis ‘slap’. No 5 Larentzakis, seems to be unbothered and Papanikolaou, Thanasis, Tyler Dorsey, and Nikos Netzipoglou crack up in the background,” the user wrote.
Alternate angles of the Giannis “slap”. No 5 Larentzakis, seems to be unbothered and Papanikolaou, Thanasis, Tyler Dorsey, and Nikos Netzipoglou crack up in the background
Via: https://t.co/kjzhgXMMA8 pic.twitter.com/3zR3xVloFF
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) August 17, 2025
Giannoulis Larentzakis
Jul 30, 2024; Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France; Greece guard Giannoulis Larentzakis (5) and Spain centre Willy Hernangomez (14) wrestle for the ball in a men’s basketball group stage match during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Another video from a decade back shows the bond between Giannis and Larentzakis. This time, it was the latter who was giving the young Freak the slap.
Antetokounmpo and Larentzakis grew up together. 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.pic.twitter.com/IR1e9KSmfX
— Harris Stavrou (@harris_stavrou) August 17, 2025
Larentzakis, Giannis, and the rest of the Greece team are currently busy preparing for their EuroBasket 2025 stint with a friendlies with Latvia on Wednesday in their schedule.
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