Greece basketball team to play World Cup qualifiers without Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Greek national basketball team will face significant roster challenges for their upcoming FIBA World Cup 2027 qualifying matches against Ukraine on August 28 and Spain on August 31. Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to be absent, as the Miami Heat have declined to release him due to concerns regarding his workload and injury risk following a knee injury that sidelined him since March.

Despite this major loss, the squad will see the return of veteran guard Nick Calathes and Tyler Dorsey. However, other key players such as Kostas Sloukas and Georgios Rogkavopoulos will miss the games due to ongoing recovery from injuries. The Hellenic Basketball Federation (EOK) clarified that the absence of NBA players like Antetokounmpo is not due to financial issues, but rather the complexities of NBA insurance requirements and team management.

Coach Vassilis Spanoulis will lead a roster that includes players like Thanasis and Kostas Antetokounmpo, Dinos Mitoglou, and Kostas Papanikolaou. The team will also participate in friendly matches against Poland and Cyprus as part of their preparations.