Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Greek-Nigerian professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
He is widely considered one of the best players in the world and has won numerous individual and team awards, including an NBA championship, NBA Finals MVP honors, and two NBA MVP awards.
He is known for his incredible physical qualities and skills, which have earned him the nickname “The Greek Freak”. He also proudly represented his homeland, Nigeria, and his adopted country, Greece, in international competitions.
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- Full name: Giannis Sina Ugo Antetokounmpo
- Nickname: Greek Freak
- Date of birth: December 6, 1994
- Age: 29 years old
- Gender: Male
- Place of birth: Athens, Greece
- Nationality: Greek, Nigerian
- Occupation: Basketball player
- Height: 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
- Parents: Charles and Veronica Antetokounmpo
- Siblings: Thanasis, Kostas, Alex and Francis Antetokounmpo
- Spouse: Mariah Riddlesprigger
- Children: Liam and Kostas Antetokounmpo
- Relationship status: Married
- Net worth: $60 million
Early life and education
Giannis Antetokounmpo, 29 years old in 2023, was born on December 6, 1994 in Athens, Greece, to Nigerian parents Charles and Veronica Antetokounmpo, who immigrated from Lagos.
He grew up in the Sepolia neighborhood, where he and his family faced poverty and racism.
He and his brothers Thanasis, Kostas, Alex and Francis helped their parents sell watches, handbags and sunglasses on the street to make a living.
He only obtained Greek citizenship at the age of 18 and had to use the Nigerian passport of his father, a former footballer.
He started playing basketball for the youth team of Filathlitikos, a Greek club based in Zografou, Athens. He was spotted by Spiros Velliniatis, a scout who helped him develop his skills and potential.
He made his professional debut with the national team in 2011, when he was 16. He played in Greece’s second and third divisions, averaging 9.5 points, 5 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game in the 2012–13 season.
He also attended Zografou High School and graduated in 2013. He studied Greek and English and became interested in history and philosophy.
He is a fan of Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson and Kevin Durant and admires Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr.
Personal life
Giannis Antetokounmpo is married to Mariah Riddlesprigger, a former volleyball player at Rice University. They met in 2017 when she interned in the NBA’s operations department in New York.
They got engaged in 2019 and married in a private ceremony in Greece in 2021. They have two sons, Liam and Kostas, born in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
Giannis is very close to his family, especially his brothers, all of whom play basketball. His younger brothers, Thanasis and Kostas, are also NBA players for the Bucks and the Los Angeles Lakers. His other brothers, Alex and Francis, play in Europe and Nigeria.
His father, Charles, died in 2017 of a heart attack, and his mother, Veronica, is a devout Christian and prays for him before every game.
Giannis is also a philanthropist supporting various causes and charities, such as UNICEF, Special Olympics, and the Giannis Antetokounmpo Academy, which he founded in 2018 to provide opportunities and mentorship to young athletes in Greece and Nigeria.
Career
Giannis Antetokounmpo has had an illustrious career in the NBA, where he has played for the Milwaukee Bucks since 2013.
He entered the 2013 NBA draft and was selected by the Bucks with the 15th pick. He became the first Greek player to be drafted in the first round and the youngest player in the 2013 draft.
He made his NBA debut on October 30, 2013, against the New York Knicks, scoring 10 points and grabbing 7 rebounds in 28 minutes of play.
He finished his rookie season with 6.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game and was named to the NBA’s All-Rookie Second Team.
He improved his play in his second season, increasing his averages to 12.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game and recorded his first career triple-double on February 22, 2015, against the Philadelphia 76ers.
He also participated in the NBA Rising Stars Challenge and the NBA Slam Dunk Contest during the 2015 NBA All-Star Weekend.
He continued to develop his skills and versatility in his third season, playing multiple positions, from point guard to center, and becoming the team’s leader and star.
He averaged 16.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.2 steals per game and became the first player in NBA history to finish in the top 20 in all five major statistical categories in a single season. He also made his first NBA All-Star appearance and won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award.
He reached new heights in his fourth season, averaging 22.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.6 steals per game and becoming the first player in NBA history to finish in the top 20 in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks in a single season.
He also made his second NBA All-Star team and was named to the NBA Second Team and NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
He established himself as one of the league’s best players in his fifth season, averaging 26.9 points, 10 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.4 steals per game, leading the Bucks to their first 50-win season since 2001.
He also made his third NBA All-Star team and was named to the All-NBA First Team and All-NBA Defensive Team.
He also won his first NBA Most Valuable Player Award, becoming the third-youngest player to achieve the honor and the second player born outside the United States to do so.
He repeated his MVP performance in his sixth season, averaging 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1 block and 1 steal per game, and led the Bucks to the league’s best record for the second consecutive season.
He also made his fourth NBA All-Star team and was named NBA All-Star Game MVP, All-NBA First Team, and All-NBA Defensive Team.
He also won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award, becoming the fifth player in NBA history to win both MVP and DPOY honors in the same season.
He achieved his goal in his seventh season, winning his first NBA championship with the Bucks, who defeated the Phoenix Suns in six games in the 2021 NBA Finals.
He averaged 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game in the series and scored a career-high 50 points in the deciding Game 6.
He also made his fifth NBA All-Star team and was named to the All-NBA First Team and All-NBA Defensive Team.
He also won his first NBA Finals MVP award, becoming only the third player in NBA history to win MVP, DPOY, and Finals MVP honors in his career.
He is currently in his eighth season with the Bucks, averaging 27.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.3 blocks per game through December 1, 2023.
He also made his sixth NBA All-Star team and is considered a strong candidate for his third NBA MVP award.
Net worth
According to Forbes, Giannis Antetokounmpo has an estimated net worth of $60 million.
He earns the bulk of his basketball salary, $39.3 million for the 2023-24 season, making him the fourth-highest-paid player in the NBA.
Argumentative
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been involved in controversial incidents throughout his NBA career, mostly involving his interactions with referees, opponents, and fans. Some of the most notable controversial incidents include:
In November 2023, he was ejected from a game against the Detroit Pistons for taunting Isaiah Stewart after a dunk. He received his second technical foul of the game for staring at Stewart, which many considered a harsh and inconsistent call by the referees.
In March 2023, some critics accused him of boosting his stats after he intentionally missed a layup in the final seconds of a game against the Los Angeles Clippers to grab his own rebound and complete a triple-double. He defended his actions as natural instinct, not a deliberate attempt to boost his stats.
In December 2022, he was fined $25,000 by the NBA for headbutting Washington Wizards’ Moritz Wagner during a game. He apologized for his behavior, saying he lost his temper in the heat of the moment.
In February 2022, he was involved in a heated exchange with James Harden of the Brooklyn Nets during a game. He mocked Harden’s defense and free throw shooting, while Harden responded by calling him a “monster” and questioning his skill level.
In January 2020, he was sued by a Greek artist named Ioannis Lianos for allegedly using his trademarked nickname. “The Greek Freak” without his permission.
The lawsuit claims that Antetokounmpo violated Lianos’ intellectual property rights and seeks damages and an injunction.
Social media
- Instagram Name: @giannis_an34
- Twitter Username: @Giannis_An34
