After their direct confrontation at the European Championships, NBA stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Alperen Sengün had a public dispute. Now the two have reconciled, as they announced on Instagram.
Antetokounmpo vs. Sengün: What happened?
The dispute was triggered by a statement made by Sengün after the semifinal victory against Greece and Antetokounmpo. He said that Antetokounmpo was “a good, but not a great passer” and that this had been the key to success.
A few hours later, Sengün posted a photo gallery on his Instagram account and commented: “Did the sea breeze bother you?” For Greek fans, the remark seemed like a provocation referring to the “Asia Minor catastrophe” in 1922, when Greek residents had to flee across the sea after a military defeat in what is now Turkey. In Turkey, however, the remark is a rather common, slightly provocative expression used to taunt opponents – along the lines of: “Well, was it too windy for you?”
Antetokounmpo and Sengün bury the hatchet
“We play for the love of our country.
We play for the love of the sport.
We play with respect.
We always remember that sport serves to unite us, not divide us. x”
In his own Instagram story, Sengün also addressed his controversial social media post, which has since been deleted. “My post after the Greece game was a communication error. I have great respect for the Greeks. It was never my intention to cause offense.”
