Giannis Antetokounmpo’s childhood: The story that shaped the Greek Freak

José was calved successful Granada successful 1980. He holds a grade successful Physical Education and Sports Science and a diploma successful Nursing. He began his vocation arsenic a sports writer with the Libertad Digital quality network. Since 2019, helium has hosted Tirando a Fallar, a hoops amusement that is presently 1 of the top-rated programs of its benignant connected Spanish radio. He is besides a commentator for EuroLeague games connected DAZN and a regular contributor to Gigantes del Basket magazine.

In 2016, helium co-authored the publication Luka Modric: The War Child (El hijo de la guerra) with Vicente Azpitarte, which was besides published successful Croatia, Japan, and China. We connected with him via Zoom successful his hometown of Granada. Our speech began with his favourite person from the ‘90s, Giorgos Sigalas, and people turned to the main taxable of the interview.

The Childhood of Giannis Antetokounmpo: The Story That Built the Character of the Greek Freak

— What were the biggest challenges you faced penning the publication astir Giannis?
The main situation was telling Giannis’ communicative successful Greece. Once helium was drafted and arrived successful the U.S., his communicative became good known, but his beginnings successful Greece were acold little familiar. I didn’t cognize whether helium would go a superstar, a bully player, an mean player, oregon if helium mightiness instrumentality to Europe to play. But the travel helium took to scope the NBA deserved to beryllium a book. Of course, if helium won an NBA Championship and became a superstar, it would adhd adjacent much worth to the book. But I was convinced his communicative was worthy telling careless — due to the fact that helium wasn’t the emblematic benignant of subordinate who reaches the NBA.

— Were determination parts of the publication you hesitated to include?
There were galore stories I wanted to see but couldn’t. I deliberation the question isn’t whether I wanted to archer them, but however to archer them. For example, I wanted to sermon the hardships his household faced during his puerility — evictions, lodging problems, fiscal struggles. I needed to find the close mode to archer these stories with respect, without sensationalism, and with precise details. This meant going to neighborhoods, uncovering radical who could assistance maine portion unneurotic his story. That signifier of probe was the astir time-consuming and challenging.

— Which portion of his beingness successful Sepolia shaped him astir and inactive stays with him today?
When a kid has to enactment successful the streets from the property of 8 oregon ten, it leaves a lasting mark. I retrieve visiting Sepolia and speaking with the clergyman of the religion Giannis often visited — idiosyncratic who profoundly influenced him, on with his narration with faith. From past on, Antetokounmpo became a profoundly devout Christian. There’s besides the well-known communicative astir the café crossed from the court, wherever a household for years gave him a sandwich, an orange, and pome foodstuff each day.

It’s not conscionable 1 isolated infinitesimal — his full hard puerility shaped him: the enactment his parents had to do, his mother’s wellness problems. People adjacent to him told maine that sometimes helium would travel location and the fridge wouldn’t person capable nutrient for everyone. He would springiness up his ain information truthful his brothers Kostas oregon Alex could eat. That selflessness is unimaginable for galore of america who person ever had capable to eat. It’s a uncommon world successful Europe, and it near a heavy people connected him.

— What impressed you astir astir his character?
What struck maine astir — adjacent though I don’t cognize him personally — is his humility. I spoke to possibly 200–300 radical who cognize him closely, and everyone says the aforesaid thing: he’s humble. In Spanish, we’d accidental “he keeps his feet connected the ground.” He’s a superstar — celebrated and affluent — but tiny details amusement his humility. Recently, aft Greece won bronze astatine the EuroBasket, helium said the crippled against Finland was the astir important of his beingness due to the fact that helium won it for his country, contempt already having an NBA Championship and Finals MVP. That says everything astir his humility and enactment ethic. He’s besides fiercely competitory — humility, hard work, and competitiveness specify him.

— Why bash you deliberation helium is specified a patriotic Greek?
It’s a bully question. We each retrieve the violative comments made against him by members of Golden Dawn. I think, successful the end, helium is profoundly grateful to Greece. If his parents had stayed successful Nigeria, we astir apt wouldn’t cognize who Giannis Antetokounmpo is today. Greece gave him the accidental to go who helium is. If helium weighs the hardships and benefits of surviving successful Greece, gratitude intelligibly outweighs the difficulties. He profoundly values the accidental Greece gave him to succeed.

— What bequest volition helium permission successful the NBA? How bash you comparison him to different legends?
Giannis is simply a genuinely unsocial subordinate — dissimilar thing successful NBA history. He combines tallness with bonzer agility and versatility. He tin dribble, pass, screen the tribunal successful 7 oregon 8 steps — it’s similar watching a unicorn. There is nary 1 similar him. His bequest volition beryllium enormous, not conscionable arsenic a subordinate but arsenic a person. He brought a title to the Milwaukee Bucks, a squad that has lone ever won 2 titles: 1 with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the different with Giannis Antetokounmpo. That is history. That is legacy.

— What’s adjacent for Giannis?
I don’t cognize if helium volition decorativeness his vocation successful Milwaukee. If the squad doesn’t marque large progress, I judge helium volition determination — possibly to the Lakers, Dallas, oregon Warriors. Unless Milwaukee has a beardown play and helium signs a caller contract. Either way, helium is already among the apical 30 players successful NBA history. Beyond basketball, helium has shown his quality — humble, hardworking, conflict-free. I deliberation the lone happening that could marque him adjacent amended is much accordant three-point shooting. But if helium did, helium would beryllium unstoppable — astir robotic. He keeps improving measurement by step. At 30, helium inactive has clip to triumph different championship, MVP, oregon execute thing large with Greece. For him, winning thing with the nationalist squad is simply a work — and this summertime helium delivered bronze. That, successful essence, is his legacy: a bully man, a bully player, a hard idiosyncratic who avoids conflict.

— Is your biography the astir authoritative connected Giannis?
I spent 4 years gathering information. One cardinal fig successful his communicative is Spyros Velliniatis, who is overlooked successful different biographies. Velliniatis recovered Giannis successful Sepolia, introduced him to basketball, and guided him for years. He knows Giannis amended than astir anyone else, but his parents and brothers. I had implicit 100 hours of heavy conversations with him. That position is unsocial to my biography, making it a distinctive publication to Giannis’ story.