Giannis Antetokounmpo and Alperen Sengun squash EuroBasket feud

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo publicly apologized and smoothed things over with Turkish rising talent Alperen Sengun after a heated social media exchange following Greeces semifinal loss to Turkey at FIBA EuroBasket 2025.

The flare-up began when Antetokounmpo reacted in frustration to Turkish flag emojis during a post-game Instagram Live, sparking a worldwide debate about national pride, sportsmanship, and respect in international basketball.

Antetokounmpos wife also received death threats in her social media account after EuroBasket 2025 ended.

Greece lost 85-76 to Turkey in a tense semifinal, as Sengun contributed 18 points and 12 rebounds while teammate Ercan Osmani led the charge with 28 points.

Antetokounmpo recorded 24 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, but Greece faltered with turnovers and perimeter defense, pushing them into the bronze medal game, where they narrowly defeated Finland 92-89.

Turkey reached the final but fell just short against Germany, taking home the silver medal.

During the ceremony, tensions flared as Antetokounmpo and Sengun deliberately avoided a handshake, sparking widespread speculation on social media.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Alperen Senguns reconciliation Giannis Antetokounmpo and Alperen Sengun squash EuroBasket feud 2 Feb 25, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) defends against Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center.

Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images While Germany celebrated its championship and Turkiye secured a historic second-place finish, attention stayed locked on the friction between NBA stars Alperen Sengun and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Frustrated by Turkish fans flooding his Instagram Live with flag emojis, the Greek star snapped, Take that (expletive) Turkish flag out of here.

The outburst was quickly clipped and shared across social media, triggering immediate backlash from Turkish fans and media.

On Tuesday, with EuroBasket wrapped up, the two players publicly ended their feud and extended an olive branch, urging their fans to do the same.

In a joint Instagram post showing them embracing, the caption stated, We play for the love of our countries.

We play for the love of game.

We play with respect.

We always remember sports are made to unite us, not divide us.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Alperen Sengun squash EuroBasket feud 3 Feb 25, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) attempts to drive with the ball around Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) during the fourth quarter at Toyota Center.

Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images On his personal account, Sengun further shared in his instagram story My post after (the) Greece game was a communication mistake.

I have great respect for Greek people.

No offense was ever intended.

That seems to have put the feud to rest.

If tensions linger, the Bucks will face the Rockets for the first time in the 2025-26 NBA season on Sunday, Nov.

9, in Milwaukee..

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