Basketball star of Nigerian descent, Giannis Antetokounmpo has finally visited his country of origin, Nigeria for the first time since he was born.
The two-time NBA MVP and Milwaukee Bucks player, was seen in Rowe park in Lagos, guiding and teaching young Nigerian players the skills and techniques of basketball.
Interestingly, Rowe Park is the same place where another NBA MVP, Hakeem Olajuwon, was discovered.
His purpose of visiting was to support the development of the sport.
Antetokounmpo was observed interacting with young aspiring basketball players and even joined them on the court at Rowe Park in Yaba, Lagos State.
According to reports, the main reason for Antetokounmpo’s visit to Nigeria was to participate in the Youth Alive Basketball Championship. He actively engaged in court activities with the kids. It is worth mentioning that Giannis has frequently expressed pride in his Nigerian heritage, often publicly emphasizing his name ‘Adetokunbo’ to the press and media in the United States.
Charles and Veronica Adetokunbo, Giannis’ parents, moved from Lagos to Greece in 1991, hoping to better the lives of their family. Giannis was born in Greece in 1994 as Adetokunbo and grew up in Greek culture, but since both his parents grew up in Nigeria, he lived the Nigerian way, according to Andscape.
“I grew up in a Nigerian home,” Antetokounmpo said. “Obviously, I was born in Greece and went to school in Greece. But at the end of the day when I go home, there is no Greek culture. It’s straight-up Nigerian culture.”
Giannis was selected 15th overall in the first round of the 2013 NBA draft, but not many expected him to be a star. A decade later, he is an NBA champion, a 2x MVP, and a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. He first set foot in Africa in 2015 during the Africa Game in Johannesburg.
Giannis Sina Ugo Antetokounmpo is a Greek-Nigerian professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association. Antetokounmpo’s country of origin, in addition to his size, speed, strength, and ball-handling skills have earned him the nickname “Greek Freak”.