Giannis Antetokounmpo named flag-bearer for Greece at Paris Olympics, will lead Parade of Nations

Giannis Antetokounmpo will be an Olympian for the first time this summer in Paris.

There, he’ll be bestowed with one of the greatest honors an athlete can experience. The Athens native will carry the flag in the opening ceremony for Greece, a nation synonymous with the Olympics.

Greece’s Hellenic Olympic Committee announced on Tuesday that Antetokounmpo and third-time Olympian race walker Antigoni Drisbioti will carry the Greek flag in the Parade of Nations along the Seine River. That means they’ll lead the parade for all nations. As the home of the Ancient Olympic Games, Greece traditionally walks first.

It’s a tremendous honor for Drisbioti and Antetokounmpo, who proudly waved the Greek flag when he was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2013 NBA draft.

Since that 2013 draft night, Antetokounmpo has achieved at the highest levels of basketball. He’s an eight-time NBA All-Star, a two-time MVP and an NBA champion. He’s represented Greece on the international stage in multiple competitions. But he’s never played in the Olympics.

That will change this summer thanks to a landmark Greece win over Croatia on July 7. With the 80-69 victory, Greece qualified for the Olympics for the first time since 2008. The moment moved Antetokounmpo to tears.

“It’s an incredible feeling,” Antetokounmpo said after the game. “Since I was a kid, I always wanted to play in the Olympic Games.”

After that win, speculation swirled that Antetokounmpo would be asked to carry the Greek flag in the opening ceremony. Antetokounmpo addressed the possibility in his postgame news conference.

Now, it’s not just possibility. It’s slated to happen. And Antetokounmpo — who’s achieved the highest of highs that professional sports has to offer — will reach a new height that few get to experience.