Greek-Nigerian basketballer, Giannis Antetokounmpo, has been racially abused online after it emerged he would be the flagbearer for Greece at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France.
The Milwaukee Bucks star was instrumental in the Greece basketball team’s qualification for the Olympics after defeating Croatia in Piraeus last Sunday. It is the basketball team’s first qualification since 2008.
Antetokounmpo will bear the Greek flag along with race walker Antigoni Ntrismpioti in Paris on 26 July.
However, a section of Greece fans are not pleased with the development, suggesting he is not white and should not be allowed to take such a significant role.
“Ὦ ΚΑΤΟΠΤΑ ΘΕΩΝ, ΔΗΛΟΝ ΤΟΥΣ ΜΕΛΛΟΝΤΑΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΑΣ ΠΕΡΙ ΟΥΣ ΠΟΛΕΜΗΣΟΜΑΙ ΚΑΙ ΘΥΣΙΑΣΟΜΑΙ.”
Οι 300 🛡️⚔️και οι Σαλαμινομάχοι🏛️⚔️ θα έκαναν ότι κοιμούνται όταν εισέβαλλε ο Ξέρξης, αν βλέπανε τα σημερινά καραγκιοζιλίκια 🤡🤡🤡των woke νεογραικύλων που έκαναν “Θεό” τους έναν… pic.twitter.com/g4fDOysDFF
— Mάξιμος Ψυχασθενής(Mad Max) (@pussidis) July 11, 2024
What exactly did for Greece 🇬🇷 how many medals has he won with the national jersey…; take a good example who should hold the flag. pic.twitter.com/Xs1V928rDc
— Achilleas Agaklees (@AAgaklees) July 11, 2024
The NBA star also enjoyed some support as fans across the world condemned the racist comments, insisting he is more than worthy of bearing Greece’s flag at the Olympics.
Spyros Kapralos, president of the Greek Olympic Committee, said there was “unanimity” in the decision for Antetokounmpo to carry the flag in Paris. He added that both flagbearers will “lift our country high”.
Antetokounmpo’s parents emigrated to Greece from Nigeria. For the first 18 years of his life, he could not travel outside Greece, having no papers either from Greece or Nigeria. He was eventually issued Greek citizenship in May 2013, less than two months before the NBA draft.
