Franz Wagner claims Germany went all out to stop Giannis Antetokounmpo: "He was more than half of the scouting report"
Giannis Antetokounmpo carried Greece into the Paris Olympics for the first time in his career. However, his dream Olympics run ended against Germany in the quarterfinals of the basketball competition. Giannis might have lost the game, but he earned the respect of his opponent Franz Wagner.
After the win, the German star said Giannis was far more dangerous than the scouting report had suggested. He also added that it took a team effort to stop the Milwaukee Bucks superstar.
“Giannis [Antetokounmpo] was more than half of the scouting report. It takes all 5 on the court to stop him... I was 7 when Dirk [Nowitzki] played in the Olympics. We've come a long way thanks to guys like him."
Antetokounmpo scored 22 points in the game shooting 9-of-14 from the field. However, the Greek Freak was not as aggressive on the defensive end in the win-or-go-home game. In 34 minutes, Antetokounmpo registered only two rebounds, three assists and one block.
With this loss, Antetokounmpo’s Olympics has ended. Despite the loss, the Bucks star still proved he can carry an underdog team to the biggest stage.
It was the bench that made all the difference in the game. While the German team’s bench scored 35 points, the Greek bench only scored eight points in the loss.
Paris Olympics is proof that Giannis Antetokounmpo is still one of the best in the world
Giannis' time in the Paris Olympics might be over, but the four games he played were a testament to his greatness. Antetokounmpo and his team qualified for the Olympics for the first time in 16 years, and he was the biggest reason his team was even there.
During the three pool games that Greece played against Australia, Canada and Spain, Giannis led the Olympics in total points, averaging 27 points per game — far more than any other player in the Olympics.
He scored 20 points in a win against Australia that sealed his team’s spot in the quarterfinals. In the second pool game, he scored 27 points against Spain, balancing his team’s hope for the quarterfinals.
Although Greece lost the opening pool game against Canada, Antetokounmpo impressed with his stats. He scored 34 points in the game and made 11 of his 16 shots from the field.
In four games during the Olympics, the Bucks superstar averaged 25.8 points per game. He shot 67.8 percent from the field and had an efficiency of 26.5.