With Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the way, Greece achieved a milestone in the recently concluded EuroBasket after finishing on the podium for the first time in 2009.
Greece won the bronze medal after defeating Finland in the third-place game, 92-89, on Sunday at Arena Riga in Latvia. It was also Antetokounmpo's first medal with the national team since joining in 2013.
After the win, the Bucks forward went on Instagram Live to celebrate. Some fans of Turkey, however, mocked him by repeatedly commenting with their country's flag. Antetokounmpo, who's being linked to trade rumors, had enough and said, “Hey, take the f*****g Turkish flag out of here!”
For context, Greece lost to Turkey in the semifinals.
Antetokounmpo received backlash for his remark, which swiftly went viral. On Tuesday, he issued a public apology on his Instagram Story.
“During my live feed, I made an inappropriate comment responding to somebody who was making disrespectful remarks. My intention was never to offend anyone. And I'm deeply sorry. I have nothing but love and respect for Turkey and people around the world,” wrote the two-time NBA MVP.
“That's how our parents raised us, with love and respect.”
In another post, he shared a picture of himself and Houston Rockets star Alperen Sengun, who led Turkey to the finals, hugging during an NBA game.
“We play for the love of our countries. We play for the love of game. We play with respect. We always remember sports are made to unite us, not divide us,” read the caption.
The 30-year-old Antetokounmpo has always been passionate about playing for Greece. He rarely skips his national duty despite coming off an exhausting NBA season.
He tallied 30 points and 17 rebounds against Finland and became emotional after capturing the bronze medal.
“It's probably the best accomplishment in my career,” said Antetokounmpo in a report from FIBA.
“Every time I play for the national team, I fall in love with basketball again. I wish we still played this game. I wish we played next summer, too.”
Turkey, meanwhile, lost to Germany in the finals. But it was also a laudable run for Sengun and company as they made it to the ultimate round for the first time since 2001.
