-  FIBA 2014 WORLD CUP PODCAST ON NBA.COM EPISODE 172 - JOHN DIMOPOULOS

-        MOST IN USA SPORTS MEDIA HAVE LITTLE CLUE ON GREEK ROSTER

EJBB viewed FIBA World Cup games going back to 1994 in Toronto, where the large population

of Greek Canadians were in the building rooting on Greece VS Dream team Two of NBA USA and

also saw Greece upset the home squad of Canada with Steve Nash & Rick Fox. Most NBA

international players love to play in FIBA World Cup events every four years as nation versus

other nation basketball is the best basketball other than the NBA playoffs and when EJBB

covered NBA games, Darius Songolia and Andres Nocioni agreed that playing and winning

with national teams is a feeling that most American NBA players do not have.

Most of the big name American USA NBA players declined to join team USA this summer in

China and so USA has a roster led by Kemba Walker, Donovan Mitchell and Harrison Barnes, so teams like Serbia, Greece, Spain and Australia are thinking Gold at this FIBA event and EJBB would put

France also in that group, but losing PG Thomas Huertel before the tourney will be hard to

overcome.

Most USA media members that cover the NBA and all the sports talk radio and TV shows in

the USA have NEVER been high on watching team USA in past FIBA World cups even with

better talent like LeBron, CP3, D Wade, Melo that lost in 2006 to Greece, as the time table

of the FIBA World cup always falls at the end of August and start of September, right in the

middle of Baseball playoff push coming and start of college and NFL football seasons.

Those same USA media members that cover the NBA glance at the games for the most

part and watch what International NBA players are doing in the games, but have little idea

who the best Euroleague players are at the same event.  NBA MVP Giannis Antetekounmpo

said he would give back his MVP award in NBA for a FIBA Gold medal with Greece this

summer and though Greece has former NBA players on the roster in Nick Calathes,

Kostas Papanikolaou and Georgios Papagiannis, most of the Greek roster is Euroleague

based veteran players that had NBA ability but stayed in Europe playing the FIBA game

style of play for elite Euroleague club teams and the national team in summer events

so having that go to player in Giannis Antetekounmpo to go along with Fist team

Euroleague gurads Nick Calathes & Kostas Sloukas & Vet Center Giannis Bourousis and

PF Georgios Printezis that are all used to playing the FIBA game more than this new team

USA roster, is the reason Greece will win Gold in China beating USA then Serbia in the

Gold medal game.

-  GREEK ROSTER EUROLEAGUE VETS MOST IN USA NBA MEDIA UNAWARE

-    THAT GREEK VETS HAVE WON MANY EUROLEAGUE TITLES IN PAST

1. Nick Calathes - PG - Panathinaikos - Greece - Won Euroleague Title in 2011 &

Eurocup Title in 2013. Won Eurobasket Bronze with Greece 2009. Two time First team

All-Euroleague Guard 2018 & 2019.

2. Kostas Sloukas - PG-SG - Fenerbahce - Turkey - Won Euroleague titles with

Olympiacos in 2012 & 2013 & Fenerbahce in 2017. Was First team All-Euroleague guard

in 2019. Won Gold in U-20 in 2009 & U-18 in 2008.

3. Georgios Printezis - PF - Olympiacos - Greece - Won Euroleague titles in 2012

& 2013 with Olympiacos Making Final shot in 2012 in HUGE Comeback. Named

First team All-Euroleague in 2017 & Won Bronze in 2009 Eurobasket.

4. Kostas Papanikolaou - SF - SG - Olympiacos - Greece - Won Euroleague titles

in 2012 & 2013 with Olympiacos. Won Gold U-18 in 2008 & Gold U-20 in 2009 & named

tourney MVP. Won ACB title Spain 2014.

5. Giannis Bourousis - Center - Gran Canaria - Spain - Won Euroleague title

with Real Madrid in 2015. Named First team All-Euroleague in 2009 & 2016. Won

Gold 2005 Eurobasket & Gold U-20 in 2002.

6. Vangelis Mantzaris - SG - UNICS Kazan - Russia - Won Euroleague titles in

2012 & 2013 with Olympiacos. Won U-20 Gold in 2009.

7. Georgios Papagiannis - Center - Panathinaikos - Greece - Won Gold at

U-18 in 2015.

8. Giannoulis Larentzakis - SG - AEK - Greece - Won Champions League 2018

9. Panagiotis Vasilopoulos - SF - Peristeri - Greece - Won Euroleague

title in 2012. Won Silver Medal FIBA Wold Cup 2006 & Gold Eurobasket 2005.

10. Thanasis Antetekounmpo - SF - SG - Played in D-League for Knicks &

76ers . Played in Spain with Andorra & Greece with Panathinaikos. Signed with

Bucks NBA. NBA - Bucks

12. Ioannis Papapetrou - SF - PF - Panathinaikos - Greece - Played at NCAA

Texas & also with Olympiacos