Bucks' Giannis Talks Importance of Carrying Greek Flag at Olympics Opening Ceremonies

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo revealed the significance of carrying the Greek flag during the opening ceremonies of the 2024 Paris Olympics.

"It's something [where] I might win another championship [in the NBA]," Antetokounmpo said, via Sam Amick of The Athletic. "I might win another MVP. Who knows? But I might never carry the flag again. So I tried, for those 45 minutes, to soak it in as much as I can."

"And going through the Eiffel Tower, and it was raining, which made it even more dramatic, seeing my mom with her phone, always, and videotaping me, it was a great experience I will never forget in my life," he added.

Antetokounmpo helped the Greek team earn a 77-71 win over Australia on Friday, representing the country's first Olympic men's basketball victory in 16 years.

The eight-time All-Star revealed that he almost passed on the role of Greek's flag-bearer and offered it to men's basketball teammate Kostas Papanikolaou instead, as he spent more time with the national team. However, Papanikolaou refused and let Antetokounmpo carry the flag.

"But he was like 'No, we want you to do it because you represent everything that sports represents, the way you carry yourself on the court and off the court. We would love you to do it.' I said 'Great. It would be an honor for me to do it,'" Antetokounmpo explained, per Amick.

Greece's spot in the Olympics was far from guaranteed, as the team needed to win a FIBA qualifying tournament final matchup against Croatia in order to secure a trip to Paris. The Greek team won, marking the country's first men's basketball Olympic appearance since 2008.

While Antetokounmpo led the Greek team to a 1-2 record in group play, he racked up several impressive individual performances. He averaged 27.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game throughout three contests while shooting 68.9 percent from the field.

With Friday's win, Greece still has a chance to advance to the knockout round. Due to the team's point differential, Serbia will need to defeat South Sudan by at least three points on Saturday in order for Antetokounmpo and his teammates to advance.