by Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Sept 13 (Xinhua) -- It might be one of basketball's toughest question that can't reliably be answered.
German basketball fans seem to already have given up in advance of their 2022 FIBA EuroBasket quarterfinal against one of the tournament's favorites Greece.
Among German supporters it has become a running gag to ask what might be harder, to spell the name of Giannis Antetokounmpo properly or beat the NBA superstar on the court in Berlin this Tuesday evening.
One of the 27-year-old's nicknames has been "The Alphabet", which later has been replaced by "The Greek Freak" due to his astounding one-of-a-kind playstyle.
German coach Gordon Herbert might use some innovative short-form when mentioning the name of the Greece's top player while preparing his team for the game, which German fans are eagerly waiting for.
"It will be about controlling Giannis. At present, I just don't yet know how to do the job," Herbert joked.
While Antetokounmpo's brothers Thanasis and Kostas might only play a side role, the family's best is regularly giving Greece's opponents a headache.
Dennis Schroder from the Houston Rockets compared the Greek icon with other NBA stars such as LeBron James and Luka Doncic.
"It's the same with LeBron James or Luka Doncic. It is near impossible to stop Giannis. The key to a victory might be to stop his teammates (from) scoring too many points," Schroder said and called the 2.11-meter-tall giant "one of the world's best."
The German captain had no end of praise for the Greek's qualities.
The power forward's combination of body height and skill make him a unique sportsman, the German said.
Schroder also spoke about Antetokounmpo's winning mentality, saying "he has shown over the past years in the NBA."
Even Doncic seems convinced taking the 2022 gold medal requires straight talking to Antetokounmpo. Asked who is the EuroBasket's logo man, he smiled and said: "I would choose Giannis because he is Giannis Antetokounmpo."
The two superstars could meet for a nail-biting showdown in the final on September 18, unless Germany create a surprise.
While German fans keep dreaming of a medal, predictions speak in favor of Greece possibly taking their third gold after 1987 and 2005.
In 2005, Greece beat a Germany side featuring the Dallas Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki in the final.
Only one year later, Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brother Thanasis's talent was discovered by a local coach when the brothers hooped on the streets of an Athens suburb. ■
