Straight Outta Athens: Giannis Antetokounmpo's hard road to NBA stardom

Giannis Antetokounmpo's transition into life as a first-round pick in an NBA draft was not smooth in any regard, as the young athlete endured a lot of adversities and challenges before his life in the world of basketball.

The 7ft basketball player became an icon for his team, the Milwaukee Bucks after joining as a rookie in 2013. Across ten seasons in the NBA, Giannis consistently improved his stats year after year. A story of self-determination and self-belief like no other in the NBA!

"From 2020 to 2023, people think I've taken a large jump on the basketball court, but I think I've taken 10X jump off the court," shared Giannis Antetokounmpo in a New York Times interview.

Giannis Ougko Antetokounmpo was born in Athens, Greece, on December 6th, 1994, into a family of Nigerian migrants. His father was an ex-soccer player and his mother was a track athlete in Lagos, Nigeria, where his older brother Francis Antetokounmpo lived at the time.

Giannis grew up in the Athenian neighborhood of Sepolia with his brothers Thanasis, Kostas, and Alex, a neighborhood formed predominantly by migrant communities. The Antetokounmpos struggled for opportunities as they were not very abundant, and Giannis himself had to contribute financially at a very early age.

"The way we were raised in Greece and the things that we went through every single day to provide for our family, all those moments brought us close. They knew that at all cost I would protect the family, and take care of my brothers. And I did," shared Antetokounmpo during his interview with The New York Times.

Tina Voutsela reported for Olympics.com that Giannis and his brothers helped out the family by selling cheap DVDs, sunglasses, and other items in town. Giannis began to mingle with sports, starting with soccer, but eventually, transitioning to basketball. He eventually garnered enough attention to gain an opportunity for a Greek team.

Growing up as a Nigerian migrant in Greece, the Antetokiunmpos faced many emotional and financial challenges.

There is always underlying tension between bordering European countries in the Mediterranean and its African neighbors, especially places like Greece where they receive a major influx of North African migrants each year. Giannis told ESPN during an interview basketball was his key to freedom, his way out.

Antetokounmpo shared during an interview with ESPN how he and his brother Thanasis would end up sleeping, sharing clothes and shoes between themselves, and living off the bare minimum. Only hope kept the two young athletes pushing for a greater future.

Giannis got his professional start with the junior squad of the Filathlitikos B.C., a Greek club. After dominating the junior ranks and truly standing out as a future talent, he joined the senior squad until he received a call from the NBA.

While Giannis was the most prolific talent in the family, his brothers Thanasis (Bucks) and Kostas (Lakers) also made it to the NBA after bouncing around in various international basketball leagues.

On June 30th, 2013, Giannis Antetokounmpo signed his rookie contract with the Bucks, making his debut a couple of months later as a young 18-year-old! He became one of the youngest NBA players ever.

During his 2015-2016 season, Giannis improved his shooting average drastically, upping his scoring average to 17 points per game. On November 19th of that same year, he scored a then career-high 33 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

During the 2016-2018 season, Giannis gave a constant display of grade-A basketball. The Bucks offered him a $100mn contract extension as his progression was off the charts. The future NBA star would go on to score more than 50 points a game six times during his prime years.

The Bucks would go on to enjoy a good spell of play during their 2018-2019 season, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, where they were defeated 4-2 by the eventual champions, the Toronto Raptors, despite winning the first two games. Antetokounmpo was named the league's Most Valuable Player by unanimous decision.

He joined the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the second Bucks player to win MVP and the third youngest player to ever win the MVP, behind great players like Derrick Rose and LeBron James.

He was named NBA Finals MVP, joining Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players to have won the MVP, Finals MVP, and Defensive Players of the Year award in 2020-21.

During this 2023-24 season, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been on fire. The Bucks are ranked second in the Easter Conference. The Greek champion seems to have much to fight for and looks hungry for more titles!