"Denver, OKC, Boston would destroy a lot of teams" - Giannis Antetokounmpo makes major claim about potential NBA vs EuroLeague showdown

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo on Sunday made a claim about the possibility of NBA teams facing some EuroLeague clubs in the future. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has spoken about the potential of a new project in Europe and working with FIBA and EuroLeague.

Speaking to reporters before the start of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game, Antetokounmpo was asked about the EuroLeague and whether some of its teams could compete against the best in the NBA. He had nothing but praise for them but acknowledged that they would be outmatched by the top teams.

"Euroleague is an incredible league, very, very talented," Antetokounmpo said (per ClutchPoints' Tomer Azarly). "Probably the top two-to-four teams are like NBA teams."

"I enjoy watching Euroleague basketball more than I enjoy NBA basketball. But in a competition level, it's not the same. The best teams here like Denver, OKC, Boston would destroy a lot of Euroleague teams."

Giannis Antetokounmpo added that if FIBA rules were applied, some EuroLeague teams would have a shot at winning. However, under NBA rules, he believes EuroLeague teams would have no chance of pulling off an upset.

The NBA has been open to the possibility of working with FIBA and EuroLeague. There have been preliminary plans to expand the league to Europe due to the growing number of international stars on NBA rosters, as well as the success of games in Paris over the years.

Here's what NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said about it last month before the 2025 Paris Games.

"We are looking very closely to see if there’s an opportunity to professionalize the game to another level here, to create a larger commercial opportunity," Silver said.

"And not just because commercial opportunity suggests you can grow revenue, but because we believe that with markets, if you can create proper incentives, you can get significant additional investment. And ultimately, that’s the way to grow the game at all levels."

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Giannis Antetokounmpo out for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game

Giannis Antetokounmpo out for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game. (Photo: IMAGN)

Giannis Antetokounmpo was named to his ninth straight All-Star Game following another stellar first half of the season with the Milwaukee Bucks. However, he has been ruled out of the 2025 NBA All-Star Game due to a right calf injury.

It is the same calf injury that kept "The Greek Freak" out of the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs. The Bucks had little chance against the Indiana Pacers, who eliminated them in six games.

Trae Young was named as Antetokounmpo's replacement, joining Chuck's Global Stars. The Bucks superstar was not the only player ruled out of the All-Star Game — Anthony Davis of the Dallas Mavericks and LeBron James of the LA Lakers are also missing the event.