'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgT/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAMflyof/xAAeEAACAQUAAwAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMABAUREgYhMf/aAAgBAQABPwC4xuCtPF7AXbzHJLHLO0YGlmMmgh7HsBRyeaOMlYkvLtj9Nf/EABsRAAIBBQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEDAgAEEWGh/9oACAECAQE/ALpIS0wjrozX/8QAFxEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQMAAv/aAAgBAwEBPwCNGnAu/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Giannis Antetokounmpo is quite the story. The Milwaukee Bucks superstar is an NBA champion, a two-time NBA MVP, an eight-time All-Star and an NBA Finals MVP.
At the heart of it all, he's a man who's afraid that all he has today could be taken away tomorrow, which makes crystal-clear in Amazon Prime's 'Giannis: The Marvelous Journey'.
It's produced by Kristen Lappas, who garnered critical acclaim for 'Blackfeet Boxing: Not Invisible,' an ESPN documentary exploring the reservation's Blackfeet Boxing Club, to help women residents train to protect themselves against the violence against them in the native American community.
Giannis follows the player's 2022 biographical sports drama, 'Rise' based on the true story of "The Greek Freak' and his brothers Thanasis and Kostas. The latest on the Bucks's cornerstone doesn't necessarily paint him as the athlete the NBA world knows him as today. He's portrayed as a man who battled racism, competition, poverty and grief to be one of the most prolific players in basketball history.
'The Marvelous Journey' released Feb. 19 on Prime video, making for some quality basketball content right after the damp squib of an All-Star Weekend.
Spanning an hour and 48 minutes, the docu-style movie narrates Giannis Antetokounmpo's story, beginning with his parents, Charles and Veronica Antetokounmpo, who immigrated to Greece from Nigeria in search of a better life in 1991.
Giannis: five interesting things from Bucks star’s Amazon Prime documentary
#5 The Antetokounmpo brothers and their 'Kolos Kai Vraki'
In one of the segments in 'Giannis', Kostas Antetokounmpo explains what the phrase 'Kolos Kai Vraki' means in Greek: "connected like underwear and butt" when describing the chemistry between the brothers.
With the Antetokounmpo brothers playing for Greece, what stood out was their flawless communication, which saw them become a force on the hardwood. The underwear and the butt connection is hilarious but relatable.
#4 Giannis Antetkounmpo and his family lived in a two-bedroom condominium well after his parents arrived to stay with him in Milwaukee
As a pick, Giannis Antetokounmpo made enough for himself to lead a comfortable life.
For a family that made a living out of fear and selling things on the street, the modesty was on full display when the Bucks forward got his parents to stay in Milwaukee.
While they had the means to make a better living, the tight-knit relationship meant that they would all stay in a two-bedroom condo, with the star sleeping in the living room.
#3 The Bucks superstar almost wore his Nike shorts to the 2013 NBA Draft
When the Bucks saw what the kid from Athens was capable of, they took the risk of drafting him in a bid to achieve massive success in the years to come.
As for Antetokounmpo, who never saw the NBA outside of the internet cafe where he and his brother would watch highlights of games, he had no sense of what he would have to wear for the Draft.
The day before the event, Antetokounmpo was asked what he would wear, to which he promptly replied: "I have my Nike shorts". It meant that his agent, Giorgos Panou fixed him up and Thanasis Antetokounmpo with suits.
#2 Antetokounmpo's fiance Mariah Riddlesprigger met his family when they went on a trip together to Miami
The documentary sheds ample light on his relationship with his fiance Mariah Riddlesprigger.
With the core message being family, one of the instances sees her explain how Giannis introduced her to his folks when they went on a trip to Miami. By her admission, there was a newfound respect for the Milwaukee mainstay who kept it real by introducing her to a family.
The pair have always been private about their personal lives, so this story gives a peak into how their romance blossomed.
#1 Why did Antetokounmpo decide to ink a supermax with the Bucks?
Divided into three acts, the second part of the movie explains how loyalty to Antetokounmpo was a two-way street.
It meant that he wouldn't be a big name signing a deal with a big franchise. When it came to deciding in 2020 about his future with the Bucks, there was never a doubt that Giannis would ink a deal with the franchise:
"Basketball for me is more than just business. And people can say that's a flaw that I have.
"They can tell me, 'You could go to New York, go to Miami, go to LA, to a big market team to make more money', but those people did not help me, man. Those people did not bring my family, I didn't cry with those people, I didn't fail with those people, I didn't succeed with those people. I grew up here. This is my home."
Safe to say, that Antetkounmpo will not be moving away from Milwaukee for the foreseeable future.
'Giannis: The Marvelous Journey' is available on Amazon Prime Video.
