Giannis Antetokounmpo's 2023-24 campaign didn't exactly end the way he would have hoped it would, as he was forced to miss the Milwaukee Bucks entire first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers due to a calf injury. For his brother, Kostas Antetokounmpo, his playoff run in Europe is still ongoing, so like any good brother would do, Giannis made the trek overseas to go watch him play.
Kostas is currently playing in his native country Greece with Panathinaikos B.C., and they are in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final against Real Madrid. They booked their spot in the final with a 73-57 victory over Fenerbahce on Friday, and after the game, Giannis interviewed Kostas, who paid homage to Kobe Bryant with an awesome one-liner that his team will hopefully take to heart.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kostas Antetokounmpo share awesome moment
Bryant had a lot of memorable moments throughout his career in the NBA, but delivering the same three-word line that Kostas said after this win is one of the best of them all. Bryant's “Mamba Mentality” is well-known in the basketball world, and his ability to not lose focus on his biggest goals, even amid a myriad of other accomplishments, is a big part of his greatness.
Of course, Kostas isn't exactly playing as big of a role on the court as Bryant played with the Lakers, as he played just seven minutes against Fenerbahce, hauling in just two rebounds while failing to score a single point. Still, every contribution matters, especially in these big games where there is a lot on the line.
Giannis obviously isn't in the playoffs anymore, so he decided to turn out and support his brother. In the process, he conducted a pretty awesome interview with him, which included this great tribute to Bryant. Giannis would probably still rather be in the middle of a deep playoff run with the Bucks, but things simply did not go his way this season.
With this win in the big, Kostas and Panathinaikos will turn their attention to their upcoming final against Real Madrid. In Euroleague play, they finished second behind the Spanish club in the standings, so it will be interesting to see if they can find a way to pull off an upset and win the Euroleague in a game where they aren't going to be favored to win.
Chances are Giannis will be in attendance at this game too, as this one is for all the marbles. Kostas may not play a big role in the court, but his message is one that will hopefully resonate with the rest of their team. Beating Fenerbahce was big, but their biggest game of the season is still in front of them, and they are going to have to put together another big outing if they want to come out on top.
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