Written by: Biraj Bikram Sahi - 21105, Grade XII
Posted on: 25 August, 2020
Giannis Antetokounmpo is an NBA player who plays for Milwaukee bucks in the east and also the current holder of the 2019 NBA’s MVP award. Giannis Antetokounmpo was born on December 6, 1994, in the beautiful city of Greece, Athens. Giannis has 5 brothers, two of whom are younger and two of then are older. Including Giannis, all of his siblings are involved in sports. Three of the four Antetokounmpo brothers play basketball in the NBA Giannis’s parents moved away from their home in Nigeria to Greece in search of jobs. It was in the city of Athens, where Giannis would be born and would start his way to global basketball dominance.
The world knows Giannis for his athletic abilities in basketball but Giannis didn’t always love basketball. At a young age, Giannis wanted to be a soccer player like his father. He hated to play basketball. So what made Giannis start playing basketball? Even though Giannis wanted to play soccer, his brother Thanasis wanted his brothers to play basketball. Giannis was only 12 years old at that time and he wanted to spend time with his brother so he started playing basketball.
Giannis started playing for the youth squad of Filathlitikos by 2009. He started his professional career in 2012-2013 for Filathlitikos. Around this time many European scouts had their eyes on the greek freak. On April 28, 2013, Antetokounmpo was officially drafted in the NBA draft. He was drafted by the Milwaukee bucks as a first-round pick by being selected 15th overall. And through his work ethic and ability towards the sport of basketball, he is now one of the best players in the league and he is still only 25 years old averaging 25 points per game this season.
