Greek basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brothers donated 10,000 surgical masks to the Athens suburb of Zografou yesterday to help fight the coronavirus outbreak.
“The municipality of Zografou wants to express its great gratitude to the Antetokounmpo family for offering 10,000 masks to the residents of the city as a measure of protection against the Covid-19 virus,” a statement from the municipality said.
The gesture from the family, “in addition to the substantial offer to the citizens of Zografou, proves the close bond that the Antetokounmpo brothers have with the city that remained for several years their home,” it added.
Milwaukee Bucks standout Giannis, last season’s NBA MVP, and his brothers Thanasis, Kostas and Alexis grew up in poverty in their early days in Greece where their parents had arrived from Nigeria as immigrants.
They grew up selling merchandise in the streets of the capital in order to help their poor family, but basketball changed their lives and Giannis signed a $100mn four-year contract with the Bucks in 2016.
“I thank from the bottom of my heart the Antetokounmpo brothers for their generous offer which acquires even greater dimensions because it takes place during these difficult times for the entire planet,” said Zografou mayor Vassilis Thodas.
“With their offer they confirm that they have not forgotten the city and when the nightmare of the coronavirus is over, the municipality will honour Giannis and his brothers accordingly,” he added. The municipality announced that the masks donated by the Antetokounmpo family will be immediately distributed to employees in the region and to vulnerable groups.
Yesterday the Greek government announced 52 new coronavirus cases in the country, bringing the total to 1,884. Greece has so far reported 83 deaths from the virus.




‘Misled’ Australian fans to get refunds for USA games


A sports promoter has promised to refund fans left disappointed by poor views and a lack of big-name NBA stars, such as LeBron James, at two Australia vs USA basketball matches last year.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said TEG Live would refund Aus$5 million (US$3 million) to about 5,000 people who bought 20,000 tickets to the games in Sydney and Melbourne in August.
The ACCC found the promoter had made “false or misleading claims” about the views fans would have of the court and which USA stars would be playing. “In our view, TEG Live’s conduct was unacceptable, and we are pleased around 5,000 consumers will receive automatic refunds,” ACCC chair Rod Sims said. TEG Live advertised the games using an image of an American basketball stadium showing floor-level seats as tiered, which was not the case in Melbourne. Many of the premium seats - which cost between $895 and $3,995 - had obstructed views of the court. Advertising also suggested top NBA stars such as the Los Angeles Lakers superstar James and Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets would be playing in the exhibition games, when the promoter had not confirmed their appearance.
“In the end, only four players from the 35-man squad - Harrison Barnes, Kemba Walker, Khris Middleton and Myles Turner - played in the games,” ACCC chair Rod Sims said. “We are concerned consumers may have purchased tickets believing many of these advertised high profile players would be playing when, in the end, this was not the case.”
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