As Bosnia and Herzegovina prepare to face Greece in a crucial EuroBasket 2025 Group C showdown, all eyes are on the heavyweight battle in the paint: Jusuf Nurkic versus Giannis Antetokounmpo. It’s a clash between two NBA veterans with very different styles — one a bruising anchor, the other a relentless force of speed and power. For Nurkic, the formula to slowing down the Greek Freak is clear: build the wall.
“Of course, you’ve got to slow down Giannis,” Nurkic said ahead of Tuesday’s matchup. “You’ve got to build the wall for him.”
Through two games, Antetokounmpo has been in dominant form, tallying 56 points and 15 rebounds on an astonishing 74.2% shooting clip, steamrolling both Italy and Georgia. For Bosnia, containing him will be the top priority — but far from the only one.
“He’s not the only one,” Nurkic added. “We have to contain everybody else. We can’t allow so many threes like tonight. When we build the wall, we’ve got to still protect the three-point line. That’s going to be a key — slow him down on the fast break, which is his number one thing to do.”
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A Familiar Opponent, A New Role
Having faced Giannis numerous times in the NBA, Nurkic knows exactly how difficult the task is — and how it’s evolving.
“I think it’s different now. He’s playing more at the five,” Nurkic said. “Obviously, he will have to defend, too.”
Italy’s captain, Nicolo Melli, jokingly suggested the only way to stop Giannis is with “a sniper in the stands.” While Nurkic hadn’t heard the quote, his admiration for the Greek superstar was evident.
“He’s a great player, man. MVP-type of player in the NBA… But you’ve got to slow him down by stopping the transition and by forcing him to take more jump shots,” Nurkic explained. “That’s what everybody does — it’s the best way to defend such a high-motor guy who can go coast to coast in three dribbles.”
Still, he emphasized that this is never a solo assignment.
“It’s a team effort. It’s not a single-player effort.”
NBA vs. FIBA Giannis: What Changes?
Nurkic also reflected on how Antetokounmpo’s game translates between the NBA and FIBA styles.
“In the NBA, he has so much space, with shooters like Brook Lopez spreading the floor. He’s almost unstoppable,” he noted. “Here, it’s another game — no defensive three seconds, a lot more happening in the paint — but he’s still a dominant player.”
So, is it easier to guard Giannis in FIBA rules?
“A FIBA setting is probably a little easier than an NBA setting because he has more spacing there,” Nurkic acknowledged. “But he’s still going to get his points.”
Instead of focusing solely on limiting Giannis, Nurkic believes the real key lies in limiting his supporting cast.
“I think it’s most important to think about what everybody else around him is going to do, not just what Giannis will do. Giannis is going to do what he does and score. You’re not going to stop him just by collapsing the paint.
But what you can control is how many shots his teammates make around him,” Nurkic emphasized.
Spanoulis the X-Factor?
When asked whether Greek head coach Vassilis Spanoulis — a EuroLeague legend now guiding the national team — could unlock Giannis’ full FIBA potential, Nurkic didn’t hesitate.
“Of course he can,” he said. “If a legend can’t find it, then no one can.”
