Giannis Antetokounmpo
Position: Small Forward/Power Forward
Height: 6’11”
Weight: 242 Pounds
Country: Greece
Team: Milwaukee Bucks
Antetoukounmpo may be called the “Greek Freak” because he grew up in Athens. But the Bucks’ MVP candidate is the son of Nigerian immigrants. After struggling to find steady work in Lagos, Antetokounmpo’s parents moved to Greece in hopes of creating a better life for their family. They gave each of their boys Greek names so they could better assimilate as black kids within the country’s culture. But inside the Antetoukounmpo household, Giannis says his family kept close to its African roots.
“Obviously, I was born in Greece and went to school in Greece,” Anteokounmpo told The Undefeated. “But at the end of the day when I go home, there is no Greek culture. It’s straight-up Nigerian culture. It’s about discipline, it’s about respecting your elders, having morals.”
Despite playing professionally in Greece’s second-tier league, Antetokounmpo’s athleticism, frame and raw skills impressed enough scouts to make him a legitimate NBA prospect by 2013. He was selected 15th overall by the Bucks in that year’s draft—beginning Antetokounmpo’s meteoric rise to superstardom.
Now a three-time NBA all-star, Antetokounmpo has his Bucks just one win away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2001. During the playoffs, he’s averaging nearly 27 points and more than 11 rebounds per game.
