How fans fell in love with Giannis
He’s a superstar on the court and an endearing figure off of it. The reasons for loving Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee are too numerous to count, but here are a few of the times Bucks fans found themselves completely in love with him.
His draft story is unlike any other
Milwaukee loves an underdog story, and this one’s a doozie. The 15th pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, Giannis was selected as a raw 18-year-old with a high ceiling, but there was no telling what he’d become. Giannis’ agent, Alex Saratsis, told a story on “The Woj Pod” that Giannis was unclear how the draft even worked.
“I remember Giannis looking over and saying, ‘What’s going to happen now? Are we screwed?’ “Saratsis said after the Cleveland Cavaliers took Anthony Bennett at No. 1 overall.
There’s even a Disney movie coming that chronicles his amazing rise from humble beginnings in Greece to his international fame today.
The former Bucks GM taught him how to drive a car
Speaking after he signed his first big contract extension, Giannis relayed the story of how former Bucks GM John Hammond helped Giannis learn how to drive a car.
“We had a lot of faith in Giannis as a basketball player, but early on, as a driver, we had some real concerns,” Hammond said with a laugh. “We worked on parking. Then we tried to work on parallel parking, all in preparation for his test. But he did it; he made it.”
His MVP speech
In 2019, when Giannis won his first MVP award, he delivered a heartfelt MVP speech that had us all feeling the dust in the room. It was especially emotional when he spoke about his father, who died suddenly in 2017.
“Every day that I step on the floor I always think about my dad and that motivates me and it pushes me to play harder and move forward. Even when my body’s sore, even when I don’t feel like playing I’m always going to show up and I’m always going to do the right thing.”
The day is family reunited in Milwaukee
His father still got the chance to see his son fulfill his NBA dream, along with other members of the Antetokounmpo family. It began with a heartwarming reunion in 2014
“I know he was excited about having his parents there,” Bucks coach Larry Drew said. “I could just see it. There was just a vibe in being around him and listening to him talk. He was asking me about his brother. I hadn’t met him until after the game last night, but that’s a tall 16-year-old kid.”
That kid, Kostas, played high school basketball at Dominican High School in Whitefish Bay and wound up winning a title this season on a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Kostas, younger brother Alex, and parents Veronica and Charles were able to get to the United States thanks to a lengthy but successful round of diplomacy led by JoAnne Anton, special assistant to Bucks owner Herb Kohl.
He’s part of an MVP legacy
He’s got two MVPs, and that makes him part of a Wisconsin sports lineage, joining Chrisitan Yelich, Aaron Rodgers and Ryan Braun as current pro athletes in the state with MVP trophies on their resume. It’s part of the reason this market has been one of the MVP capitals of the United States.
His adorable baby boy
The year 2020 was massive for Giannis, who welcomed the arrival of his first child with his partner, Mariah Riddlesprigger. Baby Liam was immediate Milwaukee royalty.
The WWE warmups
Giannis certainly wasn’t the only character involved with this running Bucks gag, but the pregame WWE ritual last season was perhaps the best demonstration that this Bucks team was loose and having a great time. Some of the best finishing moves were employed by the Bucks star.
He’s pledged to help Fiserv Forum workers
During the quarantine shutdown, Giannis pledged $100,000 to Fiserv Forum workers to offset lost wages, prompting other players and the organization itself to make a similar donation.
His giveaways have gone viral
Giannis has, on several occasions, given away his shoes or other merchandise, including one memorable exchange in December of 2019, when he gave away his game shoes to a 17-yearold with Down Syndrome named Hunter Peterson.
The Smoothie Tweet
It’s hard to find a more endearing moment in the Giannis canon than one of his initial interactions, on Jan. 20, 2014, when the Greek teenager tried a smoothie for the first time.
“I just taste for the first time a smothie...MAN GOD BLESS AMERICA,” Giannis wrote.
He later tried to replicate his delight with American cuisine when he first tried a corn dog, though there was nothing quite like that first strike of wonder.