By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Giannis Antetokounmpo expressed his wish that the atmosphere in the NBA, and the Cup tournament in particular, would’ve been similar to the one of a EuroLeague Final Four.
Asked to compare the atmosphere he’s witnessing in the NBA Cup in Las Vegas to the one he experienced live last season in the EuroLeague Final Four of Berlin, Antetokounmpo explained some differences and similarities to the two tournaments.
That was my first Final Four in Berlin this year. Obviously, the atmosphere there is a little bit different with the crowd of Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, Fenerbahce, and Real Madrid. It’s kind of different,” Antetokounmpo said after the win of the Bucks over the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA Cup semifinal. They will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Final Tuesday.
“I wish we had that atmosphere in the NBA, but we don’t,” Giannis then added. “But the intensity within the game, I think, is pretty much the same. Everybody understands that it’s one game, and you have to play well. If you don’t, you get knocked out.”
Antetokounmpo attended the 2024 EuroLeague Final Four in Berlin and watched his younger brother Kostas Antetokounmpo become a champion with Panathinaikos Athens. He actually interviewed Kostas after the semifinal win of the Greens over Fenerbahce Beko for EuroLeague TV.
Kostas’ Panathinaikos beat Real Madrid in the Final to claim the seventh EuroLeague title in the club history. The Greek big man became the 13th player ever to have won both the NBA and EuroLeague championships.
“The intensity within the game from the teams, you see high level of basketball, teams are competing,” Giannis also mentioned. “As I said, the intensity is high. In that aspect, it’s pretty much the same. The only thing that’s different, I believe, is the atmosphere. I wish the NBA could have that type of atmosphere here.”