For the first time since 2009 in Poland, the Greek national basketball team has reached the EuroBasket semifinals, following a strong performance on Tuesday night. With Spanoulis leading from the bench, Greece overcame Jonas Valančiūnas’ resistance and secured a place among the final four teams of EuroBasket 2025.
The intensity of the night was clear at the buzzer: Spanoulis clenched his fists in relief, teammates embraced, and Thanasis Antetokounmpo shouted “one more” toward the Hellenic Basketball Federation board sitting courtside. Giannis echoed the sentiment just moments earlier, telling teammates “We haven’t won anything yet—one more,” as the squad prepared for Friday’s semifinal clash with Turkey. Sloukas added his own fiery call: “Don’t sleep, wake up!”
After the game, Giannis shared photos and videos from the win, including the symbolic blue beads against bad luck, while Thanasis once again led the celebrations, dancing to FIBA’s soundtrack “Glenti.”
On Friday, the team is expected to enjoy even greater support, with 1,000 tickets already allocated to Greek fans for the semifinal at the Xiaomi Arena in Riga. A special charter flight has been arranged, with talks underway to add more routes through Aegean Airlines to meet surging demand.
🇬🇷 Γιάννης: «Δεν κερδίσαμε κάτι, άλλο ένα!». / Σλούκας: «Μην κοιμάστε! Ξυπνήστε…».#eurobasket | #eurobasket2025 | #hellasbasketball pic.twitter.com/AZuhHYcrWp
— Sotiris Charalampopoulos (@sotirischaral) September 9, 2025
The roadblock: undefeated Turkey
Greece now faces a tough opponent in Turkey, who remain undefeated with seven wins in as many games. Coached by Panathinaikos’ Ergin Ataman and featuring stars like Cedi Osman and Omer Yurtseven, Turkey has impressed throughout the tournament. Their standout, Alperen Sengun, made history by recording a triple-double in their last match and currently averages 21.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 7.1 assists, with outstanding shooting percentages.
Cedi Osman has also shined, averaging 14.9 points with 51% from three-point range, while Shane Larkin (11 points, 4.6 assists, 3.6 rebounds) and Ersan Osmani (10.4 points, 5.3 rebounds) add further depth.
Turkey’s path to the semifinals:
- Turkey – Poland 91–77 (Quarterfinals)
- Turkey – Sweden 85–79 (Round of 16)
- Turkey – Serbia 95–90 (Group)
- Estonia – Turkey 64–84 (Group)
- Turkey – Portugal 95–54 (Group)
- Turkey – Czechia 92–78 (Group)
- Latvia – Turkey 73–93 (Group)
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