Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Greek professional basketball player who plays as a power forward for the Milwaukee Bucks. His freakish physical attributes have led the fans and media to dub him as ‘The Greek Freak’. Giannis is 6’ 11” with a 7’ 3” wingspan and handles the ball like a guard, making him an unstoppable force in the NBA. At the age of 26, he already has the accomplishments of a Hall of Fame inductee.

Early Life

Giannis was born on December 6, 1994 in Athens, Greece. Born into a family of immigrants, he and his older brother, Thanasis, had to work several odd jobs to make ends meet. In 2007, Giannis started playing basketball, joining local club- Filathlitikos in 2011. He played for the club for two seasons, averaging 9.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.0 blocks in his final season. Subsequently, he declared for the 2013 NBA Draft.

NBA Journey

The Milwaukee Bucks selected Giannis with the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. Giannis came into the league as a long but scrawny prospect. He had a good rookie year, making it to the All-NBA Rookie Second Team. Through his first three seasons, he developed as a player and an athlete, increasing his statsheet production and filling out his previously scrawny frame.

During the 2016-2017 season, he had his breakout year. He was selected to his first NBA All-Star Game and All-NBA Team. His improvement from the previous season did not go unrecognised, with him winning the NBA Most Improved Player. The Bucks ended up losing in the first round of the playoffs two seasons running.

After the conclusion of the 2017-2018 season, the Bucks hired Mike Budenholzer as their new head coach. Giannis further improved on his game, winning the NBA MVP in back to back seasons as well as the NBA Defensive Player of the Year during the 2019-2020 season. The Bucks would clinch the top seed in the eastern conference two years running, but could not make it to the NBA Finals.

Before the start of the 2020-2021 season, the Bucks signed Jrue Holiday, making their intentions of winning a ring clear. They beat the Miami Heat, the Brooklyn Nets, and the Atlanta Hawks on their way to the NBA Finals. Giannis and the Bucks beat the Phoenix Suns in six games, with Giannis picking up the NBA Finals MVP Award while delivering a ring to the city of Milwaukee.

Awards and Accolades

Award/Accolade	Year
NBA Champion	2021
NBA Finals MVP	2021
NBA MVP	2019, 2020
NBA Defensive Player of the Year	2020
NBA Most Improved Player	2017
NBA Kobe Bryant All-Star Game MVP	2021
NBA All-Star	5 times (2017-2021)
All-NBA First Team	3 times (2019-2021)
All-NBA Second Team	2017, 2018
NBA All-Defensive First Team	3 times (2019-2021)
NBA All-Defensive Second Team	2017
NBA All-Rookie Second Team	2014

Net Worth

The Greek Freak is fresh off winning an NBA Championship with the Bucks which would give him many player bonuses. His net worth is around $100 million. His current NBA Contract is the largest contract in the NBA and will pay him $228 million over the next 5 years. He will get paid $39,344,900 for the 2022 NBA Season. Being one of the faces of the NBA, he is bound to have many endorsement deals. He has his own signature shoe with Nike. His vast array of endorsements include Nike, JBL, Hulu, Tissot, Kronos Foods, and T-Mobile.

Family

Giannis was born in Athens, Greece to Charles and Veronica. He has four brothers, two older and two younger. Francis and Thanasis are his older brothers whereas Alex and Kostas are his younger brothers. Three of his brothers are professional basketball players. Thanasis plays for the Milwaukee Bucks, Alex plays for the Toronto Raptors, and Kostas plays for UCAM Murcia in the French basketball league and EuroLeague. He is currently dating Mariah Riddlesprigger with whom he has a son, Liam Antetokounmpo.