AHEAD OF THE GAME
For all the reputation that the game of basketball has, 2019 NBA Most Valuable Player, Giannis Antetokounmpo proves that the rise of the modern athlete has come and is here to stay
There isn’t a more distinct display of the man’s dichotomy than perhaps in sports, where despite the pervading aggression, violence, and physicality, as well as a pervading perpetuation of toxic masculinity, there lies a curious case of emotion when meeting certain inevitable extremes such as either loss or victory. In fact, it is in the quiet few minutes before an athlete enters an arena that he finds himself stripped of that toughened exterior, rendered still and silent, filtering everything from the noise and the nerves that he has to be at his very best. Despite what the archaic athletic archetype may be, this is when he becomes most the man—accepting the emotional highs, as well as the lows that essentially make him.
“’There is no way I’m getting emotional,’” Giannis Antetokounmpo recalls saying during a conversation he had with his family prior to the 2019 NBA Awards. “But when you hear your name up there on the stage and then you realize these years of hard work, what you did in the past, then you start getting emotional.” At nearly 7 feet tall, easily towering over everyone else, the man they call the “Greek Freak” was reduced to a fit of nerves, stumbling over his words as he was named Most Valuable Player of the Year.
“Man, I’m nervous okay?” he says, marking the point where it made sense to let his guard down, a skill he holds to a premium, especially on the hardcourt. Clipping his limbs, the speech careened into a poignant turn when apart from the gratitude towards his team and the franchise that believed in him, the humbled player who traces his origins in Greece born to Nigerian immigrants honored his late father. “I want to thank my dad. Obviously, you know, he’s not here with me. Two years ago, I had the goal in my head that I’m going to be the best player in the league and I’m going to do whatever it takes to help my team win and I’m going to win the MVP,” he said. “Everyday that I step on the floor, I always think about my dad and that motivates me, that pushes me to play harder and move forward.”
Replacing a vision of calm, composure, and control, Antetokounmpo relented to the stream of tears and overwhelming feeling as he gave a touching shout out to his brothers and mother who were with him. “I love you guys. You guys are my ride or dies,” Antetokounmpo said of his brothers. “You guys are my role models, man. I look up to you guys. Thank you for everything you guys do for me. And I want to thank my amazing mom, she’s my hero,” he said. “You don’t see the future right? And if you have a good parent, your parent sees the future for you and she always saw the future in us, and she always believed in us, she was always there for us. She’s the foundation of this family. You’re my true hero.”
A summation of grit, tenacity, and a tireless spirit, Giannis Antetokounmpo owes his athletic prominence to his genesis in Athens, Greece, where in the years prior to being drafted to the NBA he played basketball after school and would walk four to five miles to train at the Filathlitikos Gym. It was in this condition that he was able to hone his skills to even so much as dream of playing for the league that every young boy has ever hoped to suit up for.
From looking up to his brothers, barely even able to dribble, Giannis persevered, practicing and playing until his body would give up and he would be forced to
sleep during noon before getting back again to shape up, sometimes until midnight. His hard work would soon see fruition when at the age of 19, he was selected in the first round of the NBA 2013 draft. The rest, as they say, is history in the making.
With a lethal combination of drive, size, and speed, he would rise from being a rookie to a true force to be reckoned with. In six years, he was able to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to stellar, record-making performances, earning them a spot at the Eastern Conference Finals this year, before eventually bowing out to the Toronto Raptors.
Beyond the game, Giannis proves to be a source of aspiration and inspiration, which is why his voice and narrative lends itself well to the stories of brands and sizable deals, including being the face of STR8, the bestselling, uncompromising European fragrance line that encourages one to go for great. Taking a few pointers from his life, STR8 crafted scents that encapsulate the man that he is and still wants to be. Aptly named “Rise” and “Ahead,” the fragrances embolden the man, as inspired by the journey of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
However, he is not one to rest on his laurels, because as it stands, he has greater, grander goals ahead of him, all of which he intends to see into reality. “This is just the beginning,” he continued at the tail-end of his acceptance speech. “As my dad said: Always want more, but never be greedy.”
With everything accounted for, there are clearly no signs of stopping Giannis Antetokounmpo—not that he even intends to. “My goal is to win a championship and we are going to do everything to make that happen,” he said. While the possibilities of the next season, as well as an opportunity to wear the colors of his country for the FIBA World Cup, hang over the horizon, Giannis Antetokounmpo is making it very clear that there is a reason why he is the MVP and how in his own right, he is crafting his legendary journey one crucial shot from the baseline at a time.—ARDC
“I REALIZE HOW BLESSED I AM AND I’M IN THE POSITION TO IMPACT THE NEXT GENERATION”
EDWARD BARBER: After having accomplished so much this year, both individually and for the Milwaukee Bucks, how does it feel to be back home this time around?
GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: I want to say, when I came back to Greece, the impact that I have now on the people, and the impact that I have on the country in general—it’s been a crazy few days. But at the end of the day, I just try to stay humble, not thinking about it and not thinking [of] being the MVP and having that status…how much pressure that will give me and my family. You know, because when you start thinking about that, you start to get nervous. I just want to stay humble, down-to-Earth, and you know, enjoy my moments here in Greece.
EB: During your acceptance speech, when you accepted the award for MVP, you talked about your family as well and how important they are to you— your brothers, as well as your mom—what role did they play in your success as a basketball player? GA: Oh, a real big role. My family has helped me and they were there for me during the years before basketball and the years when I started playing. I wouldn’t be in this situation, in this spot [without them]. They’re my support system. When I talk about my family, I get emotional, because they are always there for me. Like, when I have a goal, it’s like my whole family has the goal, and they are going to help me achieve that goal. I’m really blessed to have a family like that.
EB: Did you get the chance to watch your speech? GA: Whenever I watch it, I cry. So, it’s embarrassing.
EB: It was a great speech, in my opinion, which inspired a lot of people. But in sports in general, whether you win or lose, you learn something. In all your years of playing, what was the greatest lesson you learned?
GA: You gotta stay hungry. As I’m growing and going through life, I’m learning—and it’s harder to stay hungry when you’re on top, when you’re one of the best players in the world. It’s really tough, but I gotta act like I’m still back in my neighbourhood, when I was 17 before I made it to the NBA. And I have to have the same mentality; because that’s the only way I can get better.
It’s hard to get better when everything is being taken care of—washing your car, washing your clothes, paying your bills. It’s hard to grow. You have to fail, you have to go do stuff by yourself to grow. Actually, I just posted on Instagram an hour ago: You gotta be hungry to be able to grow as a person and a basketball player, you know?
EB: Let’s talk about the FIBA World Cup, where you will be representing Greece. When you started your journey, did you ever think that a couple of years later, you will be part of the national team representing your country?
GA: Yes, it was always my goal to represent my country and I’m really excited to play in the world cup. But hopefully we don’t play against the Philippines, because they play really, really tough—tough competitors.
EB: Speaking of the Philippines, you visited back in 2017. What were the best memories you got back in the Philippines?
GA: Man, you know, when I was there, everyone was so excited, so happy. I love the culture, having spent two days in the Philippines. It was amazing. I had an event in the mall and it was packed! I didn’t even know how much the Philippines loved basketball before I went there. So, I was excited to have the chance to visit and I cannot wait to come back.
EB: How does it feel that a lot of kids, when they play on the streets, they’re wearing your jersey and they’re playing on the streets like you do?
GA: It’s crazy. The first year when I went to the NBA, it was weird seeing people playing on the playgrounds like they were me with my jersey. But now I’m used to it. You know, that’s why I play basketball. I want to be one of the greatest players to play the game, but at the end of the day, I appreciate the fact how much I can impact the next generation, like the kids coming up to me. It’s the same thing with my signature shoe—it’s insane. I realize how blessed I am and I’m in the position to impact the next generation, and I will just keep doing the right thing and setting the right example.
EB: What is your message to your Filipino fans? GA: Thank you guys for supporting me, and my family, of course. I know you guys are big NBA fans, keep supporting the Milwaukee Bucks. Two years ago, when I visited the Philippines, I know you guys love basketball and you guys are great people. So, I want to learn more about your culture and hopefully I get to visit you guys soon.
“AS MY DAD SAID: ALWAYS WANT MORE, BUT NEVER ” BE GREEDY”