The Greek national basketball team won the bronze medal in the third-place game against Finland. On the other hand, Turkey was defeated in the final by Germany and took second place at EuroBasket.

The two teams had met in the semifinal, with Ataman’s squad easily beating Greece, led by standout player Alperen Sengun .

After his team’s victory, the Turkish star made a controversial remark about Giannis Antetokounmpo, describing him as “not such a good passer.”

Sengun’s comment sparked a reaction from both Giannis and Spanoulis, who responded to the Turk during the press conference after the bronze medal game.

Spanoulis called Sengun “a very small child” for speaking about Giannis, while the “Greek Freak” told him to go watch his highlights on YouTube.

Two days later, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Alperen Sengun posted a photo of themselves hugging, with a caption carrying a message of unity:

“We play for the love of our countries. We play for the love of the game. We play with respect. We always remember that sports are made to unite us, not divide us.”

At the same time, Giannis also posted a story in which he apologized for a comment he made during his live stream after winning the medal, when he snapped at someone who was spamming Turkish flags.

“During my live, I made an inappropriate comment in response to a comment that was offensive toward me. My intention was not to offend anyone in return. For that reason, I sincerely apologize. I have nothing but respect for Turkey and for all people around the world.”

Meanwhile, Sengun shared a similar story in which he apologized to Greeks for the provocative caption he used after the semifinal, when he wrote: “Wouldn’t it be nice weather for a swim?” – a phrase many interpreted as an allusion to the Asia Minor Catastrophe, with Turkish nationalists mockingly claiming that in 1922 they “taught the Greeks how to swim.”

“My post after the semifinal with Greece was a communication mistake. I have great respect for the Greeks. There was never any intention to offend,” wrote the Turkish player.