The “bronze” Greek National Team returns from Riga – “We wanted to lift basketball high again, this generation deserved it,” Spanoulis’ message

To the dependable of the iconic Final Countdown—a opus agelong associated with the triumphs of the “Official Beloved”—the members of the Greek National Basketball Team returned from Riga, Latvia, wherever conscionable yesterday they claimed the bronze medal astatine EuroBasket 2025 aft defeating Finland in the third-place playoff.

Vassilis Spanoulis was the archetypal to emerge, receiving a bouquet of flowers and a commemorative olive branch. He was followed by his staff, the HBF (Hellenic Basketball Federation) leadership, and past the full squad of the National Team. With their medals hanging proudly astir their necks, the internationals besides received bouquets. Giannis Antetokounmpo was particularly joyful, moving his hands to the bushed of the song, though the “Greek Freak” chose to enactment arsenic overmuch arsenic imaginable retired of the spotlight. His mother, Veronica Antetokounmpo, was besides determination with her radiant smile, signaling everything connected her phone.

Giannis himself admitted quietly: “I’m precise tired. I haven’t slept each night.”

At the humble welcoming ceremonial astatine Athens International Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos,” Secretary General for Sports Giorgos Mavrotas said:
“On behalf of the State, I would similar to convey our boys for the joyousness and pridefulness they person fixed us. Sport elevates our state and we are precise arrogant of this. Beyond our diversion presence, we besides conveyed galore important messages to Greek society. This is simply a bronze medal of golden for Greek sport.”

Then, the caput manager of the National Team, Vassilis Spanoulis, stated:
“This is simply a precise beauteous welcome, arsenic this squad deserves. This medal belongs to each of Greece, to each Greeks present and abroad. We wanted to springiness joyousness to the radical and to assistance hoops precocious again. This procreation deserves it, they person deserved it for years—especially now. I americium precise blessed to person been portion of this success, but each recognition goes to the players and everyone who contributed to making this happen. I anticipation this medal volition beryllium thing that revives hoops successful galore ways.”

Team skipper Kostas Papanikolaou added:
“We privation to convey everyone who contributed truthful overmuch to this large achievement, we genuinely convey you from the bottommost of our hearts. And arsenic manager said, we anticipation with this occurrence we managed to participate the homes of Greeks, to springiness them a smile, to animate caller kids to autumn successful emotion with hoops arsenic our procreation erstwhile did—watching manager arsenic a player, arsenic good arsenic Nikos Zisis, Dimos Dikoudis, Dimitris Diamantidis, Thodoris Papaloukas, Kostas Tsartsaris. Basketball is united, it is one, it is beloved, and it lives nether the extortion of the National Team. Thank you precise much, and I anticipation the champion is inactive up of us.”

Finally, HBF president Vangelis Liolios remarked:
“From the precise beginning, the players and coaches believed successful winning a medal—and they returned with one. We dedicate it to the fans, and we are definite that time volition beryllium brighter. After 16 years, this medal volition springiness a propulsion to Greek basketball. The radical emotion basketball. Yesterday’s tears of joyousness are a bequest for the future.”