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Giannis Antetokounmpo Delivers Touching Message as Former Teammate Begins New Chapter in Life

Originally posted on The SportsRush | By Prateek Singh | Last updated Jun 23, 2025 9:48 AM ET

Giannis Antetokounmpo has always been deeply connected to his roots. No matter how far his NBA stardom has taken him, he has remained grounded in his upbringing, his values, and his homeland. That humility has been a defining trait of his journey, especially when it comes to his connection with the Greek national team.

So when one of his longtime teammates, Ioannis Papapetrou, recently announced his retirement, Giannis made sure to show love and appreciation.

Giannis reposted Papapetrou’s Instagram post announcing retirement on his IG story and left a heartfelt message for him. Giannis thanked Papapetrou for inspiring him and being a part of his journey. He expressed admiration for Papapetrou’s commitment, both to the game and to the national team.

“Thank you for being such an inspiring teammate and friend. Wishing you all the best as you begin this exciting new chapter! May it be filled with happiness,” Giannis wrote. Papapetrou is just 31 years old and is going into early retirement due to his longstanding knee troubles.

Giannis Antetokounmpo with a touching message to Greek National teammate Ioannis Papapetrou as he retires! pic.twitter.com/jrZkZ6OTIM

— Top NBA Fan (@TopNBAFanToday) June 23, 2025

The two shared numerous moments together as members of the Greek national team. One of the more lighthearted ones included Giannis doing the dougie during a team initiation. The ritual is that every rookie has to dance or sing when they join a team. In the video recorded by Zaza Pachulia, Giannis can be seen doing the Dougie.

Giannis hit the “Dougie” real smooth during his rookie days

(via Reddit u/sm_liam)pic.twitter.com/ZgzrvDGdTB

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 29, 2022

And it was smooth, to say the least, unlike his early days with the squad.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s national team career didn’t start well

Early in his national team journey, things were far from perfect. As detailed in Mirin Fader’s book Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP, some of the veterans misread his intense work ethic as arrogance. One veteran even threatened to fight him, thinking Giannis was being cocky simply because of his NBA status.

There was skepticism. Teammates weren’t sure if Giannis could fit in. But he proved them wrong, not with words, but with action. From his very first interactions with head coach Fotis Katsikaris, Giannis displayed a laser-focused attitude, asking what he needed to do to improve and help the team.

Every player, despite their success in the league, considers representing their country the highest honor. Giannis was no different. And even though things didn’t start very well for him in the national team, today he’s recognized as one of the finest talents to ever come out of his country.

This article first appeared on The SportsRush and was syndicated with permission.

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