Giannis Antetokounmpo spoke so openly for the first time about the issue of NBA players participating in FIBA “windows,” explaining the insurance requirements needed for them to play and making it clear that, if called up for the next window, he will be available for the national team’s games against Ukraine and Spain. At the same time, he addressed his absence from previous matches and the mistake of underestimating the opposition, which cost Greece two losses.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, speaking on “Anestea the Podcast,” first explained the issue of insurance for NBA players during international windows: “I’m the only NBA player. And Thanasis. Since not many people know this, in order to play for the national team, you have to pay for insurance. I don’t know if this applies to athletes who play in the EuroLeague. The law is different, but for NBA players with big contracts, if I go there and get injured while playing in FIBA, the insurance can cover the contract I have with the Bucks or, now, with the Miami Heat. That’s how it is. In other words, the federations of Serbia and Finland—where the NBA players are coming from—pay for the insurance.”
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He then addressed whether he had been called up by Vassilis Spanoulis for the games against Romania and Portugal: “I wasn’t called up. We believed that when we play Romania and Portugal, those are games we’re supposed to win and that are easy to win. Yes, we made a mistake. We underestimated them. We lost both, and now we have two games ahead of us.”
Finally, he gave a clear answer regarding the next qualifying window: “If I’m called up, I’ll probably be there. I’ve played in 10 of the 12 tournaments I’ve been called up for. I think we’re playing Spain and Ukraine. If we’re called up and everyone’s there, I’ll be there. Let’s go win those games and make it to the World Cup.”
