1. How To Pronounce His Last Name
Is this joke still funny? Probably pretty low-hanging fruit these days but there are actually two different but correct ways to pronounce Giannis’ last name.
AH-did-KOOM-poh is the Nigerian way to pronounce it.
AHN-teh-toh-KOOM-poh is the Greek way.
Giannis was born in Greece but his family migrated from Nigeria.
His last name is of Nigerian descent and traditionally, the ‘t’s should be pronounced as ‘d’s.
Giannis has said in interviews that he pronounces his last name in both ways and swaps them out without a specific preference.
2. A-League First For The Antetokounmpo Brothers
Giannis is one of five brothers and to a lot of people’s surprise, he wasn’t the first brother to win an NBA Championship.
There are three Antetokounmpos that have played in the league, obviously, you know Giannis but did you know his younger brother Kostas won a ring with Lebron’s Lakers in the 2019/2020 season?
The Buck’s win in 2020/2021 was also a little extra special for Giannis because he had the pleasure of winning it with his older brother Thanasis as well.
The Antetokounmpo boys became the first trio of brothers to become champions in league history.
Their youngest brother Alex is also starting to make a name for himself in the G-League, Alex currently plays for the Raptors 905.
Will we see a fourth Antetokounmpo win a ring? Only time will tell.
3. A Strong Work Ethic From A Young Age
There were a lot of mouths to feed in the Antetokounmpo Household growing up and Giannis wasn’t always on a supermax NBA contract.
Giannis and his brothers helped his parents earn enough money to survive by selling ‘anything they could get their hands on’ to tourists on the streets of Athens.
‘I was always out there helping my mom and dad sell watches, glasses, CDs, DVDs, stuff like that. Whatever we could put our hands on. I did it until I was around 17. But I was just doing it because I had to. There was no other option.’
4. You Know What They Say…
The size of the Greek Freak’s hands is something you need to see. Measuring a whopping 9.85 inches, Giannis is 3rd on the all-time list of players with the biggest hands.
Boban Marjanovic is number one and Shaq is number two.
First Ever International Player To Get A Nike Shoe
In June 2019, Nike released the Nike Air Zoom Freak 1s making him the first international player with a signature Nike shoe.
It’s estimated that his Nike deal nets Giannis a cool $10 Million per year.
5. The Most Deserving Of A Supermax Contract
It is really quite impressive how much Giannis used to help his parents keep the lights on when they were growing up in Athens but he certainly didn’t stop supporting his family when he was drafted.
Giannis’ first five months in the league he lived in a motel and would wire the majority of his pay to his parents over in Greece.
Antetokounmpo lived so frugally in the rookie year that he would jog to games and training because he sent so much money to his family that he couldn’t afford a cab.
6. First Ever International Player To Get A Nike Shoe
In June 2019, Nike released the Nike Air Zoom Freak 1s making him the first international player with a signature Nike shoe.
It’s estimated that his Nike deal nets Giannis a cool $10 Million per year.
7. His Son’s Name is Liam
In 2020, Giannis and partner Mariah Riddlesprigger welcomed Liam Charles Antetokounmpo into the world.
Liam’s middle name is that of his late Grandfather, Giannis’ Dad who sadly passed away in 2017.
In my unbiased opinion, the name Liam is the greatest name you can give someone.
8. Drafted Before Becoming A Citizen
Despite being born in Athens, Giannis was considered a Nigerian immigrant by the Greek Government all the way up until he was 18.
2013 was a huge year for The “Greek” Freak as he was drafted 15th Overall in the first round by the Bucks and was finally granted Greek citizenship.
