By Nathan Yasis,WI Sports Heroics
Copyright wisportsheroics
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s long-awaited international breakthrough carried both joy and pain. The Milwaukee Bucks star finally earned his first medal with Greece at EuroBasket 2025, guiding the team to bronze in a hard-fought 92-89 win over Finland. Yet off the court, Antetokounmpo and his family faced a far darker ordeal as they received threats to their lives.
Mariah Riddlesprigger, Giannis’ wife, took to Instagram to expose disturbing messages aimed at her family during the tournament. One Turkish fan allegedly threatened their children, holding the Antetokounmpos responsible for Greece’s intense semifinal clash with Turkey. Mariah shared a screenshot of the threat and made it clear she would confront it head-on.
“People in this world are so disappointing! All over a basketball! I hope that those making hateful comments and sending disgusting messages to my family are proud of yourselves! But since you want to reach out to me privately, I will be sure to let the world know publicly who you are! And to all Turkiye fans, congratulations on your medal, y’all have an amazing team! However, to your fans, there’s no place for this type of behavior in sports. Actually, there’s no place for this type of behavior. PERIOD!,” Antetokounmpo’s wife wrote in her instagram story.
Giannis Antetokounmpo against Turkey
The threats hit just hours after Giannis made headlines during a live Instagram celebration. Following the bronze medal game, he streamed the team’s victory celebrations, but his comments quickly filled with Turkish flags. Irritated, Giannis snapped, “Take the f***ing Turkish flag out of here!”
Turkish media labeled his outburst as “cursing the flag,” fueling online vitriol and drawing more criticism from opposing fans. Tensions between Giannis and Turkey had already been mounting. In the semifinal, Greece was crushed 94-68 by a dominant Turkish team led by Alperen Sengun, who racked up 18 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists.
Sengun later claimed that exploiting Giannis’ passing flaws played a major role in Turkey’s win. Although Giannis had posted impressive tournament averages of 27.3 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game, his semifinal output of 12 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, and five turnovers ranked among his weakest performances on the international stage.
Giannis responded in dominant fashion against Finland, putting up 30 points and hauling in 17 rebounds to secure the bronze medal. Greece claimed its first EuroBasket medal in 16 years, a milestone that brought the two-time MVP to tears. While his performance on the court told a story of triumph, the harassment aimed at his family cast a dark shadow over the celebration.
For Mariah, the threats cut deepest because they targeted her children. By sharing the messages publicly, she exposed the perpetrators’ anonymity and highlighted the very real human toll of such harassment.
