Carrying His Home Country's Flag Meant A Lot To Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo has accomplished a lot in his NBA career, but it seems like being asked to carry the Greek flag during the opening ceremony for the 2024 Olympic opening ceremony in Paris is one of the top highlights.

The Milwaukee Bucks star recently talked about his experience with carrying the Greek flag while sailing down the Seine, something that left a big impression on him.

Lucky him, he didn't have to watch that embarrassing "Last Supper" thing…

"It's something [where] I might win another championship [in the NBA]," Antetokounmpo said in an interview with The Athletic. "I might win another MVP. Who knows? But I might never carry the flag again. So I tried, for those 45 minutes, to soak it in as much as I can."

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo carries the flag during the Olympic opening ceremony in Paris. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

Of course, Giannis would only be 33 during the next Olympics, but he's right, there aren't too many flag-bearers, so when, you get the opportunity to do it, you need to drink it in and that's precisely what he did.

"And going through the Eiffel Tower, and it was raining, which made it even more dramatic, seeing my mom with her phone, always, and videotaping me, it was a great experience I will never forget in my life."

It's awesome to see that this honor meant so much to Giannis, and it's clear that the gravity of it wasn't lost on him. I think being asked to carry your country's flag at the Olympics is without a doubt the biggest honor in all of sports, and I think if you asked Giannis — at least judging by his words here — he would agree with that.

Antetokounmpo and Greece defeated Australia on Friday, 77-71, and will move on to the knockout stage.