Becoming a famous NBA star is not Giannis Antetokounmpo’s destiny. It came from an accident. And the 28-year-old basketball player always considers himself very lucky to follow that path.
As one of the most decorated players in history and consistently breaking into the NBA annals, Giannis Antetokounmpo is enjoying the life of a superstar. Surprisingly, if most basketball stars started playing at a very young age, Giannis only learned about the orange ball at the age of 13. Before that, he was still a street vendor. Not in America, but in Greece.
Giannis was born in Athens, but does not have citizenship. His parents are Nigerians who tried their best to get to Greece in the hope of a better life. However, because of illegal immigration, they exist without legal status and are always threatened with deportation. That’s why Giannis didn’t have any friends for many years. Although he is an extrovert, he tries to limit contact to avoid trouble. Just something happens, the police knock on the door to check the papers, and that’s it.
To make a living, Giannis’s father did all sorts of manual jobs while his mother took care of the children. Giannis, an older brother and two younger siblings also had to go out to make money. Giannis sells everything in the world, from watches and glasses to CDs and DVDs. He did this until he was 17 years old, partly because he was very lucky. Giannis’s secret is to hold on and not let go, determined not to leave until the customer has bought something.
Giannis Antetokounmpo only started playing basketball at the age of 13.
But Giannis also needs something entertaining. He initially played soccer. But basketball coach Vasilis Xenakis tried to persuade him to switch to basketball because he was impressed by his height. Giannis firmly refused, until Xenakis said that playing basketball makes a lot of money. Money is a big concern for Giannis. He needed money so his parents could pay rent and have uninterrupted meals.
So Giannis joined the basketball team with his brother Thanasis. However, they never appeared on the field together. They both only have enough money to buy and use the same pair of shoes. If Giannis uses it, Thanasis must stay home, and vice versa. They also often come to the training ground with an empty stomach. Giannis said that he has no concept of breakfast. Not even lunch. “Many times when I return home after a match I eat at 11 p.m. And that’s the first meal of the day,” he said.
Within 6 years, Giannis developed into a promising basketball star. In the 2011/12 season, he also played for the Filathlitikos team in the Greek third division. The following season, just a few days before turning 18, he played for CAI Zaragoza in Spain. Other big clubs in Europe and America also want him.
Giannis has skyrocketed in his basketball career.,
By 2013, Giannis was ready to enter the NBA Draft. However, this highly anticipated event is in danger of falling apart because he, as well as all members of his family, are stateless. Fortunately, right before the NBA draft, the Greek Government agreed to issue passports to the Antetokounmpo family. And to resemble the Greeks, the surname Antetokounmpo had to change to Adetokunbo. Later, when he became famous, the Nigerian Government also issued a passport, so he still used his main name Antetokounmpo.
It didn’t take long for Giannis to prove his talent. Bucks general manager John Hammond said that, “although I don’t want to put pressure on Giannis, it’s clear that this guy is a future all-star.”
NBA fans also agree with that statement. Although tall, possessing explosive speed and unusual dexterity, Giannis is called the “Greek Monster”. Because so many people know that Giannis hasn’t been in the US for long, there’s an interesting story like this:
It was a late day in 2014 when Giannis took a taxi to Western Union to play. On the way he stopped at an ATM to send money to his family in Greece as a Christmas gift. When he returned to the taxi, Giannis remembered how much money he had deposited, not keeping a single penny for himself. Having no other choice, he had to run. While running and worrying about being late for the field, a car waved at him, offering to take him. This person was coming to the ring and recognized the Bucks rookie.
Giannis with his mother and siblings.
In the first 5 seasons with Giannis, the Bucks reached the playoff round 3 times. In the 2018/19 season, Giannis became the first Bucks player since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to be named the tournament’s Best Player. He continued to win this award the next season, thereby joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James as the three rare people in NBA history to win two MVPs before turning 26.
The title wins have propelled Giannis to the most lucrative supermax contract in NBA history. For those who don’t know, supermax contracts were created so that a small group of clubs could retain their top talent. To qualify, players must win MVP, Defensive Player of the Year or make the All-NBA Team. The Greek monster has all of that and received $228.2 million for a five-year contract.
Giannis and the fortune he built in America.
When he has money, the first thing he thinks about is family. The day he bought an apartment with his own money, he called his family via Skype, boasting that “this is my parents’ bedroom, this is my house’s living room, my house’s kitchen.” Hearing his mother say he would come to America soon, he was so happy that he cried.
A few years later Giannis welcomed his extended family over. He bought his parents and siblings each an apartment in the complex. It was the happiest moment of Giannis’ life. “I thought about myself a few years ago, wandering the streets with my shopping cart, and I looked at what was there. Well, it’s been an unbelievable and crazy journey, hasn’t it?,” Giannis said.
And Giannis is also grateful to teacher Xenakis. He was right when he advised him to pursue basketball. It brought him many things and changed his family’s destiny. From being stateless people who hid while struggling to make a living, they are now recognized and admired by society.
