The video of Giannis Antetokounmpo as he slaps his national team teammate has gone viral
Giannis Antetokounmpo has become the subject of criticism and trolling after the 30-year-old basketball player’s video went viral, showcasing him being violent towards his fellow teammate.
Giannis Antetokounmpo slaps Greece teammate Giannoulis Larentzakis on the head, video goes viral
Earlier, social media platforms, especially X/Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit, have been buzzing with a viral video of Giannis Antetokounmpo, wherein the player is seen slapping the hell out of a fellow basketball player.
What Exactly Happened?
Earlier, on Saturday, Greece were playing an exhibition game in EuroBasket 2025 and though the Greek-Nigerian professional basketball player Giannis didn’t play the game, he was seen sitting on the bench. The viral video, features him being energetic, however, that didn’t sit well with the basketball fans, as they didn’t like the idea of him slapping his fellow teammate on the head especially with its intensity leading many to believe it wasn’t just playful banter.
The teammate who was slapped has been identified as Giannoulis Larentzakis of Greece who wears the number 5 jersey. The 31 year old is Giannis’ longtime friend and former high school classmate as well but the reason behind the slap he took to the back of his head isn’t known yet.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is seen slapping Giannoulis Larentzakis, a player for the Greek national team and Olympiacos. The slap, which appears unprovoked and aggressive, happened as the team prepares for EuroBasket 2025.
(🎥: via giannispan_ @tiktok)
pic.twitter.com/qnbLKEnDak— SpursRΞPORTΞR (@SpursReporter) August 16, 2025
Fans Reaction
Basketball fans didn’t like the idea of a player being hit on the head, as they described the slap as unprovoked. Though, many took it lightly as they thought the player was just expressing his energy. Meanwhile, many thought it wasn’t a playful slap, nor was just two teammates joking around.
One such fan took to X/twitter, and penned, “That’s assault brother.” Another one jolted, “I really really hope he gets kicked off the team.” A third one added, “He’s from Greece everyone. It’s so normal, Christ lol.”
A fourth one wrote, “That slap was so damn precise and personal what did bro say or do ??” A fifth one inked, “why he hurt his teammate its so ugly bro.”
What Did the Viral Video Feature?
The 16-second viral video, which sparked a widespread debate online has so far, received more than 1 million views, 14K likes, 1.3K shares, 400 comments, and 2.2K saves. The now-viral video features the team standing around in a circle form, and suddenly Antetokounmpo slapped his fellow teammate on his head.
Why did Giannis Antetokounmpo slap Larentzakis like that 😭
🎥 giannispan_/TikTok pic.twitter.com/kuwtbvEMvd
— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) August 16, 2025
Following slapping his teammate, he continued with his speech. At the time of writing this piece, there isn’t any information as to what they were talking about and why Giannis slapped his fellow teammate, who appeared to be donning the Jersey number 5, as seen in the viral video. Greece have won both their games in EuroBasket 2025 and while Giannis hasn’t featured for them next, he is likely to play their next fixture against Latvia.
Identity of the Victim
Although, as of now, it isn’t confirmed who the victim of assault was, however, social media claims that the player who got slapped was Giannoulis Larentzakis, a Greek professional basketball player.
The 31-year-old, who is the vice-captain of Olympiacos, is nicknamed “Cobra.” The player is 6 feet 5 inch (1.96m) tall, and plays as the shooting guard and small forward. Born in Maroussi, Attica, Greece, on September 22, 1993, Larentzakis grew up on the Greek Island.
He began playing basketball at a very young age, and joined PAO Amilla Peristeriou as a youth player. In 2010, when he turned 17, he joined the Aigaleo as a senior, and began his professional career in 2011-12 season with Ikaros.
So far, he has played for various League clubs including Kolossos Rodou, CAI Zaragoza, AEK Athens, Murcia, and Olympiacos, with whom he renewed the contract in 2023 until 2026. However, on July 16, 2025, he agreed with new 2=+1 year contract with the club, with reduced salary.
As aforesaid, so far, it’s not known why Giannis slapped his teammate, however, head coach Vassilis Spanoulis come forward as he spoke about the player’s energy. In his statement, the head coach can be heard saying that the player “brings energy to every practice and every huddle,” while adding that his teammates know him and his passion very well.
Giannis Antetokounmpo delivers a hard slap to the back of his Greek teammate's head
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