Latest news with #EuroBasket2025
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo makes EuroBasket 2025 plans with Greece official
The post Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo makes EuroBasket 2025 plans with Greece official appeared first on ClutchPoints. Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo EuroBasket/status/1947586720255381706" rel="noopener">has officially committed to representing Greece in the upcoming FIBA EuroBasket 2025 tournament, NBA insider Marc Stein shared. With group stage games set in Cyprus and Riga, Latvia, and the tournament tipping off on August 27, Antetokounmpo's decision comes at a pivotal moment, not just for Greek basketball but for the Bucks' franchise as well. The two-time NBA MVP will headline a 19-player preliminary roster announced by head coach Vassilis Spanoulis, with games set to start on August 28 against Italy. He'll join his brother Kostas, along with veteran players like Kostas Sloukas and Tyler Dorsey, in a renewed push for Greece's first EuroBasket title since 2005. This isn't just another international outing for the 'Greek Freak.' After a summer filled with speculation about his future in Milwaukee, Antetokounmpo's decision to play for Greece reveals a player grounded in purpose. At a recent event in Athens held by the Charles Antetokounmpo Family Foundation, Giannis emphasized his deep connection to his homeland, stating, 'When I retire, I plan to stay here. Always in Athens. Athens is my home.' Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo dreams of a homecoming He even hinted at a future reunion with his brothers at Filathlitikos. In this Athens-based club, his journey began: 'We can go back and play for Filathlitikos… promote it to the first division.' This summer's EuroBasket is personal. Antetokounmpo has long used international play as both a source of pride and motivation. His prior stints in FIBA competition, including the 2024 Paris Olympics, saw him dominate opponents, averaging 27 points on nearly 69% shooting. For Bucks fans, the message is clear: while questions about Giannis' long-term NBA future remain, especially with his potential free agency looming in 2027, his commitment to greatness is unwavering. He's preparing to lead Greece to continental glory this summer, and Milwaukee back to title contention this fall. Related: Bucks' Myles Turner draws Brook Lopez comparison Related: How Bucks feel about Damian Lillard returning to Blazers
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo's status for EuroBasket announced
The NBA season is still three months away, but more high-level hoops is only a month away. EuroBasket 2025 is set to begin on Aug. 27 and feature some of the best European stars battling it out for their countries. While many stars could choose to sit out and prepare for the next NBA season, representing their country can be one of the highest honors. Advertisement On Tuesday, EuroBasket confirmed that Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo would be playing in this year's event. Antetokounmpo will lead Greece as he looks to bring a trophy back to his home country. Of course, that will be easier said than done for Antetokounmpo as he will be tasked with some tough matchups. Greece will be in Group C alongside Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Georgia, Italy and reigning champion Spain. With Greece set to begin group play on Aug. 28 against Italy, the two-time NBA MVP will look to show his dominance on the court against some of the best players across Europe. It will also be a nice break from all of the offseason drama that has surrounded Antetokounmpo ahead of his 13th NBA season. Advertisement After the Milwaukee Bucks lost in the first round for the third straight year, rumors about Antetokounmpo's future swirled constantly. However, the Bucks continued to make some big moves, signing Myles Turner and waiving and stretching Damian Lillard to keep the superstar happy. All signs point to Antetokounmpo beginning next season in Milwaukee, but before he begins that journey, all focus will be on helping Greece take down some of the top players in the world.
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Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Heat falls to 1-3 in Vegas after summer league loss to Pistons. How Jakucionis and others fared
With the Miami Heat's summer league team missing its leading trio of Keshad Johnson, Pelle Larsson and Kel'el Ware, rookie Kasparas Jakucionis got the opportunity to play as the summer squad's leading man. But like most of summer league, the results were mixed for the 19-year-old Jakucionis in the Heat's 108-88 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Thursday at the Pavilion on UNLV's campus to drop to 1-3 in Las Vegas Summer League. After finishing with just six points on 1-of-7 shooting from the field, 0-of-3 shooting on threes and 4-of-4 shooting from the foul line while recording only one assist to three turnovers in the first half, Jakucionis totaled nine points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field, 1-of-3 shooting on threes and 2-of-2 shooting from the foul line, two assists and two turnovers in the second half. Jakucionis, who was selected by Miami with the 20th pick in the first round of last month's draft, closed Thursday's loss with 15 points on 4-of-12 shooting from the field, 1-of-6 shooting on threes and 6-of-6 shooting from the foul line, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and one block while committing five turnovers in 28 minutes. The other Heat player currently with an NBA contract who played Thursday was center Vlad Goldin, who is signed by Miami to a two-way deal. Goldin contributed six points on 1-of-4 shooting from the field and 4-of-6 shooting from the foul line, five rebounds, one assist and two blocks in 20 minutes against the Pistons. Without Johnson, Larsson and Ware, the Heat started a lineup of Jakucionis, Marcus Williams, Erik Stevenson, Dain Dainja and Goldin on Thursday. While Johnson remains with the Heat's summer team, Larsson and Ware left Las Vegas and their summer league work is done. Larsson impressed during summer league, averaging 17.4 points, three rebounds and three assists per appearance in his five summer league games this year between the California Classic and the Las Vegas circuit before leaving the Heat to join Sweden's national team ahead of the EuroBasket 2025 tournament. But Larsson was far from perfect, totaling 15 turnovers to 15 assists and also shooting just 22 of 52 (42.3 percent) from the field and 5 of 19 (26.3 percent) from three-point range in his five summer league appearances. It was an up-and-down summer league for Ware, who averaged just 12 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 13 of 33 (39.4 percent) from the field in his first three summer league appearances this year after establishing himself as one of the NBA's top rookies last season. But after Heat coach Erik Spoelstra challenged Ware to 'really embrace and improve his professionalism, his consistency, his approach every single day,' Ware responded with his two best performances of this year's summer league by averaging 21 points, 12 rebounds, 1.5 steals and two blocks per game while shooting 16 of 29 (55.2 percent) from the field and 5 of 6 (83.3 percent) from three-point range in his final two summer appearances. The absences of Johnson, Larsson and Ware allowed Heat summer league players still without NBA contracts like Stevenson and forward Myron Gardner to flash their skill sets. Stevenson, who has spent the last two seasons in the G League, closed Thursday's defeat with 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field, 2-of-3 shooting on threes and 3-of-3 shooting from the foul line, four rebounds, one assist and one block in 22 minutes. Gardner, who also spent the last two seasons in the G League, finished Thursday's loss with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field, 4-of-5 shooting from three-point range and 1-of-1 shooting from the foul line, three rebounds, two assists and one steal in 23 minutes. It marked Gardner's first game in Las Vegas Summer League after suffering a finger injury during the California Classic. Guard Bryson Warren, who stood out for the Heat's summer league in the California Classic, has not played in Las Vegas because of a hamstring injury. After winning the Las Vegas Summer League championship last year, the Heat won't repeat as champions this year. The Heat will play its fifth and final Las Vegas Summer League game on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks' summer squad (7 p.m., ESPN+).
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Los Angeles Lakers Get Concerning Luka Doncic Update
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. When the Los Angeles Lakers pulled off arguably the biggest blockbuster trade in NBA history back in February that sent 10-time All-Star forward Anthony Davis to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for superstar point guard Luka Doncic, many believed it signaled the latter would be in purple and gold for the foreseeable future. However, Doncic is only under contract for one more year with a $45.9 million cap hit in 2025 (he also has a $48.9 million player option for 2026-27), and there hasn't been much talk about him signing a long-term contract extension with L.A. Doncic is eligible to sign a four-year, $229 million max contract on Aug. 2, which is significantly less than the $345.3 million deal he could've signed had he stuck with the Mavericks. Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles up the court against the Chicago Bulls during the first half at the United Center on March 27, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles up the court against the Chicago Bulls during the first half at the United Center on March 27, 2025 in Chicago, Basketball: Fever Make Major Caitlin Clark Announcement After Injury vs. Sun He could also opt for a shorter three-year, $165 million contract, which would allow him to reach free agency sooner and accrue his 10 years of NBA service, making him eligible for a five-year, $418 million extension in 2028. ESPN's Brian Windhorst cautioned Lakers fan earlier this week not to worry if there's no traction on a Doncic deal until September (he's currently with the Slovenian national team for EuroBasket 2025), but during an appearance on ESPN's "NBA Today" on Tuesday, Windhorst also explained that Doncic's contract situation is "stressing" the Lakers out. Windy: "This is a stress max right now for Luka. The Lakers are a little bit stressed out about it. They want the no stress max" — Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) July 15, 2025 "There's the stress max — this happens when it's a player's second max contract," Windhorst said. "This is when players sometimes leave, or are not really worth it. This is a stress max right now for Luka. The Lakers are a little bit stressed out about it. "... This is a stress max situation, so if he signs it, relief for the Lakers, they can spend a little time looking at their roster over the next two or three years. Making decisions that are not going to be based upon what's best for us tomorrow, what are we going to present to Luka in 2026, we can think about what the team looks like in 27-28, etc. "If he doesn't sign it, he can be a free agent next summer when there's going to be 10-plus teams with cap space. If he does not sign it, we will see teams begin to open up maneuvers to try to chase Luka. And every day will go by where every sort of wobble with the Lakers — everything will be tied to the Luka contract." More Basketball: Clippers Beat Out Rival Lakers for 3-Time All- Star Bradley Beal LeBron James is only locked into one more season with the Lakers after exercising his $52.6 million player option. He's expressed wanting to win one more title before he retires, so if the Lakers don't build what he deems a championship-caliber roster, he could force his way out of L.A. with a trade or a buyout. If James leaves the Lakers this season or next, that would leave Doncic as the face of the franchise.
Miami Herald
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Heat's Larsson leaves Vegas after productive summer league: ‘I have to prove myself every day'
As an NBA rookie, guard Pelle Larsson helped the Miami Heat win the Las Vegas Summer League championship, played in 55 regular-season NBA games for the Heat and then played in each of the Heat's four playoff games. But Larsson entered this offseason with more to prove and plenty to improve on. 'I'm so early in my career that I have to prove myself every day,' Larsson, 24, said after a summer league practice in Las Vegas. 'I can't lay back or lean back on any achievements or anything. So I kind of just have to prove it every day and keep building that trust. It's here and then it's training camp and then preseason and then it just goes on and on.' The first important chapter of Larsson's offseason came to an end with Monday's 100-96 win over the Boston Celtics in Las Vegas Summer League. It marked the Heat's first victory in three Last Vegas Summer League games this year. Larsson left Las Vegas following Monday's contest to join Sweden's national team ahead of the EuroBasket 2025 tournament, which begins on Aug. 27. Larsson left the country on a high note, totaling a team-high 24 points on 7-of-14 shooting from the field, 1-of-3 shooting on threes and 9-of-10 shooting from the foul line to go with two rebounds and six assists in 33 minutes to lead the Heat to Monday's summer league victory. The Heat's trio of Keshad Johnson (22 points), Larsson and Kel'el Ware (21 points) combined to score 67 of Miami's 100 points in the win. While being used as a primary ball-handler that led to a higher usage rate than he'll get when the real NBA season begins, Larsson flashed his growth and talent by averaging 17.4 points, three rebounds and three assists per appearance in his five summer league games this year between the California Classic and the Las Vegas circuit. 'We were trying to grow his game,' Heat assistant coach and summer league head coach Eric Glass said Monday when asked to assess Larsson's summer league showing. 'We want him to still be the defensive stopper and role player on offense, but we gave him the ball and it gave him a much higher usage rate, obviously. It was a good experience for him. 'There were games when he was really good, games that there's stuff on film now that we can teach him on things to do. But you can't duplicate these kinds of reps in games. So we were really happy for that.' While Larsson knows he won't have the ball in his hands as often when his second NBA season begins, he still believes the opportunity to play as a lead guard in summer league can help him in certain on-ball situations this upcoming season. 'It's just reps,' said Larsson, who was selected by the Heat in the second round of last year's draft. 'Maybe if I don't get as many in one single game, I'll still get some of them. So when I get those opportunities, I need to make sure I'm ready and capable. It's just building that confidence and knowledge.' But Larsson was far from perfect with the ball in summer league, totaling 15 turnovers to 15 assists in his five summer league appearances. He also shot just 22 of 52 (42.3 percent) from the field and 5 of 19 (26.3 percent) from three-point range during summer league. 'Very, very good experience for me,' Larsson said of his summer league on-ball opportunities. 'I'm going to have more of it this summer with the national team, as well. So I just got to keep growing with that. I had too many, maybe, lapses of focus handling the ball. But it's a great learning experience.' One thing that Larsson did especially well in summer league was draw fouls. He averaged nine free-throw attempts per game, shooting 38 of 45 (84.4 percent) from the foul line during his five summer league appearances this year. 'To be honest, he's been the same person since he stepped in our building last year,' Glass said when asked if he's noticed anything different about Larsson this offseason. 'He's super consistent, works extremely hard. In terms of his role, we're getting him a little bit more on-ball reps than he typically has with the main club. But that's part of the summer development and his decision making and all that stuff, we're seeing improvement. So if those opportunities happen when he's under [Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra], hopefully he can be successful in those situations.' Larsson's summer league flashes aren't necessarily surprising, considering he earned the Heat's trust as a rookie after beginning last season out of Miami's rotation. He went on to log double-digit minutes in each of the final six regular-season games he was available for before missing the last three games of the regular season because of a sprained ankle and then returning to the Heat's rotation in the playoffs. With Spoelstra labeling Larsson as an 'elite role player' even before his rookie season began, he showed why Spoelstra put that tag on him when he did get playing time. Larsson's hustle, pesky defense and cutting ability immediately stood out, averaging 10.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.2 steals per game while shooting 44% from the field and 36.8% on threes during his final six regular-season appearances. Larsson now wants to prove he deserves a bigger and more consistent role with the Heat in his second NBA season. He has $977,689 of his $2 million salary for next season already guaranteed, with the rest becoming guaranteed if he's still on Miami's roster on opening night. 'I think the hope is always to get better and have a bigger role than you did the last time around,' Larsson said. What's on Larsson's offseason to-do list in hopes of earning that bigger role with the Heat? 'I think one thing is being ready to catch and shoot,' he said. 'I mean, Tyler [Herro] and Bam [Adebayo], those guys create a lot of open shots, so you just have to be ready to knock it down. And then also be a bully on defense, learn from teammates. And then be a bully on offense, get to the line, get to the hoop and just use my physicality because that's how I like to play and that's kind of what I've been working on this summer league.' Larsson's work now continues with Sweden's national team. As for the Heat, it will play its fourth of five Las Vegas Summer League games on Thursday against the Detroit Pistons' summer squad (4 p.m., NBA TV). While Larsson's summer league is done, it remains to be seen if the Heat's other two summer league leaders — Johnson and Ware — will play in another summer league game this year. 'Just kind of more of a sense of calm,' Larsson said of his comfort level with the Heat ahead of his second NBA season. 'I know what coach wants from me a little bit clearer. And I know what I can bring and what the whole training camp will look like. So just getting there and battling again.'
