His remarks about the Turkish flag drew backlash: Antetokounmpo apologizes

EuroBasket 2025, the biggest national team tournament in European basketball, has concluded. Turkey defeated Greece in the semifinals to reach the final, where they lost to Germany and finished the tournament with a silver medal.

TENSION BEGAN AFTER THE SEMIFINALS

The 12 Giant Men reached the final by defeating Greece by a 26-point margin in the semifinals. However, a brief altercation occurred between the players of the two teams following the match.

Alperen Şengün and Giannis Antetokounmpo, who were selected for the "All-Tournament Team" at the awards ceremony, did not shake hands. These moments became a trending topic on social media.

"TAKE THE DAMN TURKISH FLAG AND GET OUT OF HERE"

During a live broadcast after the ceremony, Giannis Antetokounmpo responded to viewers sending Turkish flag emojis by saying, "Take the damn Turkish flag and get out of here."

These remarks drew significant backlash in a short time.

APOLOGY FROM ANTETOKOUNMPO

Following the reactions, Giannis Antetokounmpo issued an apology through his social media account. Antetokounmpo stated the following:

"During a live broadcast, I responded to someone making disrespectful comments with inappropriate language. It was never my intention to hurt anyone. I feel deep regret for this. I hold only love and respect for Turkey and people around the world. Our parents raised us with love and respect."

JOINT MESSAGE FROM ŞENGÜN AND ANTETOKOUNMPO

Following the apology, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Alperen Şengün put an end to the tension by making a joint post.

Sharing a photo of the two embracing on their social media accounts, Antetokounmpo and Şengün wrote the following message:

"We take the court because we love our countries. We take the court because we love basketball. We take the court with respect. We never forget that sports exist to unite us, not to divide us."