Greek basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo is set to make history as the first black athlete to bear the flag for Greece at the Olympics.
The two-time NBA MVP will share the honour with race walker Antigoni Ntrismpioti.
The Greek men’s basketball team qualified for its first Olympic Games since 2008 after a thrilling win against Croatia in front of a home crowd in Piraeus on Sunday, July 7, 2024.
As Greece is the birthplace of the Olympics, their team traditionally leads the parade, making Antetokounmpo one of the first athletes to open the Games.
Spyros Kapralos, president of the Greek Olympic Committee, announced that the decision to have Antetokounmpo carry the flag was unanimous, and expressed confidence that both flagbearers will “lift our country high”.
So far, Antetokounmpo has not publicly commented on the honour but shared a video on X showcasing highlights from the qualifying campaign, simply captioning it “Greece”.
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