Giannis Antetokounmpo is doing everything in his power to carry Greece at EuroBasket 2025—and so far, it’s working. The “Greek Freak” dropped a monster near-triple-double in a gritty 90-86 win over Spain, a victory that secured Greece’s spot in the Round of 16.
But not everyone left that game happy. Head coach Vassilis Spanoulis was furious with the officiating, claiming Giannis isn’t getting the same treatment as other EuroBasket stars.
“Once again, I’ve seen a big difference in free throws,” Spanoulis said after the game via EuroHoops. “One team can’t have 37 attempts and the other just 19.”
Giannis finished with 25 points, 14 boards, and 9 assists on 9-of-15 shooting—plus 12 trips to the line. Solid numbers, sure, but Spanoulis believes it should’ve been a lot more. “Just 12 free throws are few for Giannis; he could have had another 10 for sure,” he argued.
The coach then pulled out the Luka Doncic card, pointing out how Slovenia’s superstar often racks up 20+ free throw attempts per game. “You can’t have Luka and other players taking 20-23 free throws per game and Giannis begging to get a foul while getting hacked,” Spanoulis added.
He didn’t stop there. Spanoulis went on to name-drop other European standouts like Nikola Jokic, Alperen Sengun, and Lauri Markkanen, saying all of them get a fairer whistle compared to Antetokounmpo. “At least two times, he should have been awarded unsportsmanlike fouls,” Spanoulis said. “We have to face everybody with the same criteria.”
For Greece, the rant may serve a purpose—putting pressure on officials heading into the knockout stage. Next up, Giannis and company face Israel in the Round of 16, and all eyes will be on whether the refs give the two-time MVP a different whistle this time around.
Because if Spanoulis is right, the best might still be yet to come from Giannis at EuroBasket 2025.
