Three superstars, perhaps the best players in the world, started the Eurobasket and were also candidates to win it, but even before the semi-finals only Luka Doncic remained.
Two have already gone and they will no longer win the title.
After the sensational elimination of Serbia and Nikola Jokic in the round of 16 to Italy, yesterday (Tuesday) Greece and Giannis Antetokounmpo went home after losing to Germany.
Symbolically, the big star wasn't on the floor when it was over.
He was in the locker room after being sent off 5 minutes to the end for an unsportsmanlike foul he committed.
Yanis accepted the decision in class, didn't argue, didn't make plays and went down to the locker room.
He had a great tournament (29 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists) but he did not achieve the goal.
The duty of proving that he can bring Greece to the great achievement remains;
This is the third time he has failed.
This was preceded by the pre-Olympic tournament in 2016 and the 2019 World Championship.
But as much as we don't talk about Yannis, we will be taking down the German team that gave the basketball presentation of the tournament yesterday, which was close to perfect.
She scored 107 points against a team whose second name is defense.
Those who think this is a coincidence should look at the previous games of the Germans (who lost only once - to Lucca and Slovenia), and will find that this team is playing great and especially enjoyable basketball from the beginning of the tournament.
She has already scored over 100 points twice before.
Yannis.
Class with zero effort, photo: Getty Images
Her coach Gordy Herbert, who took office less than a year ago, manages her perfectly.
Remember how he beat Israel twice in the World Championship qualifiers with the B team, without the big stars?
It's not enough just to have great talent (and he has that in the team), you have to put it together.
The fact that 5 players in the team scored in double digits, and that it is difficult to choose an outstanding one, shows how team-oriented, balanced and connected this team is.
Dimitris Itoudis the coach who lost to him, a decorated Euroleague coach didn't make it.
Herbert, the 63-year-old Canadian-Finnish, is a much smaller name in the training field who has succeeded in a big way.
He made Germany a candidate for the title and not only because of its domesticity.
By the way, the last time Germany hosted the tournament they also won it, it was in 1993.
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