Giannis Antetokounmpo: Italy plan to stop Nigerian Freak with a sniper

Ahead of Italy's men's European Basketball Championship clash with Greece, coach Gianmarco Pozzecco revealed his unusual strategy for stopping Giannis Antetokounmpo.

EuroBasket 2025 kicked off on Wednesday, August 27, with the match between Lithuania and Great Britain.

On Thursday, August 28, a major showdown takes place in Limassol, Cyprus, between Greece and Italy, two of the competition's powerhouses.

At the pre-game press conference, the charismatic Italian coach, Gianmarco Pozzecco, was asked how his team plans to stop Giannis Antetokounmpo, the two-time NBA MVP and one of the world's best players.

With a straight face, the 52-year-old coach laid out his unique strategy – a sniper:

"We probably have to do it in the first quarter, so he doesn't play in the second, third, and fourth.

"I have a friend who is a very good sniper. That's the only option we have, I already talked about it with my staff.

"There is no other option. Stopping him is not possible," Pozzecco joked, as quoted by EuroHoops.

"We need to change this kind of mentality and understand that it will be Italy versus Greece. He's unstoppable in the NBA, and you think we can stop him here? No," he added.

On September 3, 2022, at the Forum di Assago in Milan during EuroBasket 2022, Greece defeated Italy 85-81, with Antetokounmpo tallying 25 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and a +31 efficiency rating.

Three years later, Greece not only has the Milwaukee Bucks superstar but also the legendary Vassilis Spanoulis on the sidelines:

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"He's a great coach, already one of the best in Europe. From the first time I met him, he had something huge, you could see his winning mentality. Coaches pass this mentality on to their team," stated Pozzecco.

The match between Greece and Italy on Thursday, August 28, will tip off at 21:30 and can be watched live on DAZN or Courtside 1891.