Giannis Sina Ougko Antetokounmpo was born on December 6, 1994. He is a Greek professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nearly 7 feet tall, Antetokounmpo's conbination of size, speed and ball- handing led to his nickname the "Greek Freak". He was born in Greece from Nigerian parents and he began playing basketball for Filathlitikos in Athens. In 2016-17 he led the Bucks in all five major statistical categories and became the first player in NBA history to finish a regular season in the top 20 in total points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. He received the Most Improved Player award in 2017. He has received three All- Star selections, and led the Eastern Conference in voting in 2019. In June 2019, he was named the NBA Most Valuable Player.
National Team Career
Although Antetokounbo and his three brothers were born and raised in Greece, they didn' t automatically acquire Greek citizenship. Until the age of 18, Antetokounmpo had no official documents and wasn' t a citizen neither of Greece nor of Nigeria. He grew up in the district of Sepolia. The family's living conditions were difficult, as his parents found it difficult to find work, so Antetokounbo and his brother Thanasis were living by selling sunglasses, bags and watches at outdoor markets.
In 2007, Antetokounmpo started playing basketball and represented Greece for the first time in July 2013 with the Greek Under-20 national team at the 2013 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship. In 2014, he played for the senior men's Greek national basketball team for the first time. Antetokounmpo joined again the Greek national team for EuroBasket 2015. He also played with Greece at the 2016 Turin FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament and during their preparation phase for the EuroBasket 2017. Last but not least, Antetokounmpo represented Greece at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, through the year 2019 and he has played with the senior men's Greek national team in 49 caps (games).
Awards and accomplishments
- NBA Most Valuable Player: 2019
- 4× NBA All-Star: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
- NBA Most Improved Player: 2017
- All-NBA First Team: 2019
- 2× All-NBA Second Team: 2017, 2018
- NBA All-Defensive First Team: 2019
- NBA All-Defensive Second Team: 2017
- NBA Rising Stars Challenge Participant: 2014, 2015
- NBA Slam Dunk Contest Participant: 2015
- NBA All-Star Weekend Skills Challenge Participant: 2014
- NBA All-Rookie Second Team: 2014
- Euroscar European Player of the Year: 2018
