NBA

Who is Giannis Antetokounmpo? Interesting facts about the Humble Superstar

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Bianca Christi January 16, 2023

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Giannis Antetokounmpo is a Greek-Nigerian professional basketball player that plays for the Milwaukee Bucks in the  NBA. Due to his country of birth, as well as his size, speed, strength, and ball-handling abilities, Giannis earned himself the nickname “Greek Freak.”

Before entering the 2013 NBA draft and being selected 15th overall by the Bucks, Giannis had been playing for Filathlitikos youth teams and senior team in Athens, where he was born and raised.

He led the Bucks in all five major statistical categories in 2016-17, becoming the first player in NBA history to finish a regular season in the top 20 in all five statistics (total points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks).

In 2017, he was given the MVP honor. Giannis has been chosen for six All-Star games, including two years where he led the Eastern Conference in votes and was chosen as an All-Star captain.

Speaking of the awards, Giannis indeed earned a lot. He won 2 NBA MVPs consecutively in 2019 and 2020, making him the third player who accomplished this feat before turning 26, while the other two are LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

2020 was a harvest year for Giannis, since besides the MVP award, he won the DPOY ( Defensive Player of the Year ) as well, becoming the third player to win both awards in the same season after Michael Jordan (1988) and Hakeem Olajuwon (1994).

Turning into 2021 which was perhaps the most unforgettable year for him. Beating the Phoenix Suns, Giannis led the Bulks all the way to the first NBA championship since 1971, and he won the Finals MVP award at the same time. In the same year, he was honored as one of the league’s all-time greatest players in the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

Giannis Antetokounmpo celebrates 2021 NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks holding the the champion trophy. [Photograph]. Si. 

Personal Info

• Birth: December 6, 1994
• Nationality: Greek / Nigerian
• Position: Power Forward
• League: NBA
• Team: Milwaukee Bucks
• Height: 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
• Weight: 243 lb (110 kg)
• NBA Draft: 2013 / Round: 1 / Pick: 15th overall – Selected by the Milwaukee Bucks
• Nicknames: Greek Freak/The Alphabet
• Team Jersey : No. 34

Career Info

• Playing Career: 2011–present
• Career History: 2011–2013: Filathlitikos  / 2013–present: Milwaukee Bucks

Career Highlights and Awards

Fun Facts

• The length of Giannis’ hands is 9.85/12 inches. He ranks third among NBA players with the largest hands, after ShaquilleO’Neal and Boban Marjanovic.
• During breaks, Giannis enjoys all of his favorite foods, including pizza with pepperoni, chicken wings, and smoothies.
• Giannis and his 2 brothers have all won champion rings, who are officially the first sibling trio in NBA history to all win a champion.
• The story of his jersey is quite meaningful. His parents are the source of his jersey number! Both Giannis’ parents were born in 1964. Thus he made the decision to combine the numbers “3” and “4” to create his chosen number, “34.”

It’s time to get a basketball jersey for yourself.

Nothing is better than to support your favorite player by wearing his jersey.