As a boy in Athens, Giannis Antetokounmpo sold sunglasses, watches and handbags on the street with his brothers to help his family pay the bills. On 20 July 2021, he scored 50 points to win the NBA championship.
His 50-point performance in Game 6 of the Finals against the Phoenix Suns gave the Milwaukee Bucks their first title in half a century and earned him the Finals Most Valuable Player award. It is one of the greatest single-game performances in NBA Finals history.
A Nigerian family in Greece
Antetokounmpo was born in Athens in 1994 to Nigerian parents, Charles and Veronica, who had moved from Lagos to Greece in search of work. The family struggled financially and lived without legal status for years. Because of Greek citizenship laws, Giannis was born in Greece but was not a Greek citizen. He and his brothers grew up with little money and constant uncertainty.
He began playing basketball as a teenager in a local Athens club. He was tall and thin, with long arms and a natural feel for the game, and scouts from the NBA began to take notice.
The Greek Freak
The Milwaukee Bucks picked him 15th in the 2013 NBA Draft. He was only 18, barely known in the United States, and many experts saw him as a long-term project. Shortly before the draft, he received Greek citizenship.
He grew stronger and more skilled every season, and fans nicknamed him “the Greek Freak” for his unusual combination of size, speed and agility. He won the NBA Most Valuable Player award in 2019 and again in 2020, and the Defensive Player of the Year in 2020.
2021
In the 2021 playoffs, Antetokounmpo overcame a knee injury that many feared would end his season. He returned for the Finals and led the Bucks from two games down to beat the Suns 4-2. His 50-point game sealed the series.
Family and Nigeria
His father, Charles, died in 2017, a loss Giannis has spoken about often. Two of his brothers, Thanasis and Kostas, also played in the NBA, and the family has become one of the best-known basketball families in the world.
He has spoken about his Nigerian heritage and has described himself as both Greek and Nigerian, and Nigerian fans follow his career closely.
The story people remember
Antetokounmpo’s story, from street selling to NBA champion, has become one of the most inspiring in modern sport. It has also raised questions in Greece about citizenship for children born to immigrants.
The boy who once sold sunglasses to tourists is now among the most recognisable athletes on the planet.
