Giannis Antetokounmpo has made NBA history. The Greek, who just turned 26, extended his contract with the Milwaukee Bucks for five years and will make $228 million, which is more than anyone has ever done before. The son of a former illegal immigrant is now an instant star in the NBA.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's story began on the streets of Athens. As a child, he sold sunglasses, watches, CDS and DVDS with his older brother Thanassis, who is two and a half years his senior.
The Antetokounmpo brothers earned money this way to pay their monthly rent and for their daily dinner. But if the weather didn't sell much, the brothers didn't bring home enough money, and they had to go to bed hungry.
It all ended before he was even 20, and it still sounds like an anecdote from an entirely different era. Today, both brothers play in the NBA. Giannis is the face of the Milwaukee Bucks, a superstar in the league, and has been voted the most Valuable Player in each of the past two seasons.
His younger brother Costas, who is a year younger, is also a professional player and plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, having won the annual championship as a reserve player in October 2020. His youngest brother Alex, a post-00s player, joined Spanish first division club Murcia.
"Financially poor, but happy"
The Antetokounmpo brothers grew up in Sebolia, one of Athens' poorest districts. Their parents, Charles and Veronica, came to Greece from Nigeria in 1991. But like many African migrants, they have no official papers - and so are in a "vortex" from the start, making it almost impossible to build a life for themselves. Without papers, you can't get a high-paying job. Without a job, there was little money to feed the family.
As a result, the parents and their four sons had to squeeze into a two-bedroom apartment. The children sometimes have to share a bed. "It wasn't easy," Giannis recalled in a documentary on the US TV show 60 Minutes.
Still, he emphasized the positive side of life: "We are economically poor, but happy. At least we're together, all in the same room, laughing."
His parents consciously gave him and Thanassis Greek names - hoping this would help them integrate into Greek society.
However, life in Greece is very difficult for children from Africa. Even foreigners born in Greece still have a long way to go before they can become citizens.
Giannis Antetokounmpo didn't get his passport until May 2013, when he was 18 years old. Until then, he had been stateless, living illegally and in constant fear of being deported at any moment. The destination, of course, was Nigeria, his parents' homeland, which he had never visited.
Casual contact with basketball
The story of Giannis Antetokounmpo cannot be told without Spiros Velignatis. The basketball coach scouted talent in Athens, an urban area with a large immigrant population, and in 2008 he discovered brothers Giannis and Thanassis. They were in the discovery phase of their athletic potential, and they tried many sports - from table tennis to volleyball to soccer.
"You guys try playing basketball for a month, just for fun, and maybe you'll like it," Velignatis said. His biggest concern at the time was that Giannis, though tall, was thin and too thin. "What would you do if Mozart stood in front of you and had nothing to eat?"
At the age of 13, Giannis joined Firas Ridix, a club in the Athens suburb of Zangraf. Most of the club's players were white, and their parents eyed the new arrival with suspicion.
Giannis reportedly trained so hard, sometimes until midnight, that when it was over, he simply slept on a mat in the hall because it was too late - he was afraid to go home in the dark. He knew he could be in danger on the streets of towns like Zangraf because of the color of his skin.
Sharing sneakers with his brother in certain games
At the age of 16, Giannis became one of the best substitute players in Greece and was promoted to the first team of Firas Ridix. It's a team in the Greek second division. Brother Thanassis is also on the team. They earn less than 500 euros a month, more than they earned as street vendors, but not enough to buy the right pair of sneakers. Therefore, in some games, he had to share a pair of sneakers with his brother and brother.
Now, the Greek has his own shoe brand. Sporting goods manufacturer Nike introduced to the market in the summer of 2019 "Zoom Freak 1" brand shoes named after his nickname "Greek monster". Giannis earned $10 million a year from the shoe deal, and he also received 15 pairs of sneakers a month. "It's incredible when I think I could only buy one pair of shoes before," Giannis said.
Milwaukee Bucks' "bucking the trend" signing
Money is no longer an issue for Giannis or his family. He has made $81 million since the Milwaukee Bucks signed him in 2013. A few days ago, Giannis signed a record deal with the club in NBA history. The deal extends his time with the Milwaukee Bucks by five years, and he will earn a total of $228 million through 2026.
It was the largest contract in NBA history. It was also a decision that somewhat went against the trend in the NBA. Superstars aspire to the trend of glitter and glamour, and they not only fight for competitive sports titles, but they can also build their own brands with their own names. The sun almost always shines there.
In Los Angeles, for example, lebron James and Anthony Davis (both Lakers) or Kawhi Leonard and Paul George (both Clippers) are now on the team. Or the ever-seductive and captivating New York City, whose core players Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving (both of whom play for the Brooklyn Nets) can't resist tempting terms.
Instead, Milwaukee is a small market and a small club. In this city on the western shore of Lake Michigan, winter begins no later than November and lasts until the end of April. However, Giannis stressed that Milwaukee is now "home" for him. Despite his rising career, he kept his feet on the ground, focused on making his money and kept quiet. His childhood on the streets of Athens still affects him.
