Giannis Antetokounmpo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Antetokounmpo with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2022
No. 34 – Milwaukee Bucks
Power forward / center
Personal information
Born	(1994-12-06) December 6, 1994 (age 30) Athens, Greece
Nationality	Greek / Nigerian
Listed height	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight	243 lb (110 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	2013 / Round: 1 / Pick: 15th overall
Selected by the Milwaukee Bucks
Pro career	2011–present
League	NBA
Career history
2011–2013	Filathlitikos
2013–present	Milwaukee Bucks
Career highlights and awards
NBA champion (2021) NBA Finals MVP (2021) 2× NBA Most Valuable Player (2019, 2020) NBA Cup champion (2024) NBA Cup MVP (2024) 9× NBA All-Star (2017–2025) NBA All-Star Game MVP (2021) 6× All-NBA First Team (2019–2024) 2× All-NBA Second Team (2017, 2018) NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2020) 4× NBA All-Defensive First Team (2019–2022) NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2017) NBA Most Improved Player (2017) NBA All-Rookie Second Team (2014) NBA 75th Anniversary Team FIBA EuroBasket Top Scorer (2022) Euroscar Player of the Year (2018)

Giannis Sina Ugo Antetokounmpo (born December 6, 1994) is a Greek and Nigerian professional basketball player. He plays for the Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). People often call him the "Greek Freak" because of his amazing size, speed, and strength. Many think he is one of the best basketball players ever.

Giannis was born and grew up in Athens, Greece. His parents were from Nigeria. He started playing basketball for youth teams in Athens. In 2011, he joined the senior team of Filathlitikos. He then entered the 2013 NBA draft and was picked 15th by the Bucks. In the 2016–17 season, he led his team in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. He was the first NBA player to be in the top 20 for all five of these stats. He also won the Most Improved Player award in 2017. Giannis has been chosen for the All-Star team nine times. He was even an All-Star captain in 2019, 2020, 2023, and 2024.

Giannis is one of the most awarded players in NBA history. He won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award two years in a row, in 2019 and 2020. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James have won two MVP awards before turning 26. In 2020, he also won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. This made him only the third player ever to win both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. The others were Michael Jordan (1988) and Hakeem Olajuwon (1994). In 2021, Giannis led the Bucks to their first NBA championship since 1971. He was named Finals MVP for his incredible performance. That same year, he was honored as one of the league's greatest players by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. A movie about his life, Rise, came out in 2022. In 2024, he helped the Bucks win the NBA Cup and was named the NBA Cup MVP.

Because of his amazing sports achievements, the Greek Olympic Committee chose him to carry the flag for Greece at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. He shared this honor with Greek race walker Antigoni Drisbioti.

Early Life and Family

Giannis Sina Ugo Adetokunbo was born in Athens, Greece, on December 6, 1994. His parents were immigrants from Nigeria. His father was a soccer player, and his mother was a high jumper in Nigeria. Three years before Giannis was born, his parents moved from Lagos. They left their first son, Francis, with his grandparents.

Giannis grew up in the Sepolia neighborhood of Athens. His family was mostly Nigerian. His parents struggled to find work because they were immigrants without work permits. So, Giannis and his older brother Thanasis helped by selling watches, bags, and sunglasses on the streets. Giannis started playing basketball in 2007.

Even though Giannis and three of his four brothers were born in Greece, they did not automatically become Greek citizens. Greek law follows jus sanguinis, which means citizenship is based on parents' nationality. Growing up, Giannis sometimes felt like an outsider. He didn't fully fit in with either the Greek or Nigerian communities in Athens. For his first 18 years, he couldn't travel outside Greece because he had no official papers. He finally became a Greek citizen on May 9, 2013. This was less than two months before the 2013 NBA draft.

After becoming a Greek citizen, his official last name became Antetokounmpo. This is the Greek way of writing his parents' original Nigerian name, Adetokunbo. Giannis is a Greek version of "John." Because his last name was hard for many NBA fans to say, he became known as the "Greek Freak." Giannis also has Nigerian citizenship, which he got in 2015. He has said that he feels both Greek and Nigerian.

Becoming an NBA Star

Early Years with the Bucks (2013–2016)

Giannis first played for the senior team of Filathlitikos in Greece from 2011 to 2013. In December 2012, he signed a deal with a Spanish club, CAI Zaragoza. This deal included options for him to join the NBA.

On April 28, 2013, Giannis decided to enter the 2013 NBA draft. He was picked 15th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks. On July 30, 2013, he signed his first contract with the team.

Antetokounmpo with the Bucks in November 2014

Giannis played his first NBA game on October 13, 2013. He was one of the youngest NBA players ever at the time. In his first season, he averaged 6.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. He led all NBA rookies in blocks. He was also chosen for the NBA All-Rookie second team.

In his second season (2014–15), Giannis started to improve. He scored a career-high 27 points and 15 rebounds in one game. He also competed in the 2015 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

During the 2015–16 season, Giannis continued to get better. His scoring average went up to almost 17 points per game. On December 12, 2015, he helped the Bucks beat the Golden State Warriors. This ended the Warriors' 24-game winning streak. On February 22, 2016, Giannis got his first career triple-double. A triple-double means getting double-digit numbers in three stats, like points, rebounds, and assists. He was the youngest Bucks player to do this.

All-Star Seasons and MVP Awards (2016–2020)

Antetokounmpo with the Bucks in December 2016

In September 2016, Giannis signed a big contract extension with the Bucks. His fourth season (2016–17) was a huge breakout year. He scored a career-high 39 points in one game. On January 19, 2017, he was chosen to start in the 2017 NBA All-Star Game. He was the youngest player in Bucks history to do this and the first Greek NBA All-Star. Giannis led the Bucks in all five main stats (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks) that season. He was the first NBA player ever to finish in the top 20 in the league for all five categories. Because of this, he was named to the All-NBA Second Team and won the NBA Most Improved Player Award.

In the playoffs that year, Giannis scored a playoff career-high 34 points in one game. However, the Bucks lost their series.

Antetokounmpo dunking against the Washington Wizards in 2018

Giannis started the 2017–18 season very strong. He scored a career-high 44 points in one game. He averaged almost 27 points that season. He earned his second All-Star spot and All-NBA selection. He also broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's team record for most triple-doubles. The Bucks lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Boston Celtics.

From the 2018–19 season, the Bucks became a very successful team. Giannis helped them win many games. He scored a career-high 52 points in one game. He led the Bucks to the best record in the league with 60 wins. He helped the Bucks reach the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2001. They made it to the Eastern Conference Finals but lost to the Toronto Raptors. At the end of the season, Giannis was named the league's Most Valuable Player. He was only the second Bucks player to win MVP, after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Giannis started the 2019–20 season with a triple-double. He scored a season-high 50 points in another game. He led the Bucks to an 18-game winning streak. On January 23, 2020, Giannis was named an All-Star Game captain for the second year in a row. The Bucks finished with the best record in the NBA for the second year in a row.

On September 18, 2020, Giannis won his second straight Most Valuable Player award. He also won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. This made him one of only three players ever to win both awards in the same season.

NBA Champion and Finals MVP (2020–2021)

On December 15, 2020, Giannis signed a huge contract extension with the Bucks. At the 2021 All-Star Game, he scored 35 points without missing a shot. He became the first non-American to win the All-Star MVP. The Bucks finished the 2020–21 season as the third seed in the Eastern Conference.

In the first round of the playoffs, they played the Miami Heat again. Giannis led the Bucks to a clean sweep, winning all four games. He also led the Bucks to win a tough seven-game series against the Brooklyn Nets. On June 29, 2021, Giannis hurt his left knee in a game against the Atlanta Hawks. He missed the next two games, but the Bucks still won and made it to the NBA Finals for the first time in 47 years.

Giannis returned for the Finals against the Phoenix Suns. He had two games in a row with at least 40 points and 10 rebounds. This put him in a special group with players like Shaquille O'Neal and Michael Jordan. The Bucks came back after losing the first two games and won the next four. In Game 6, Giannis scored an incredible 50 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and had 5 blocks. The Bucks won their first championship in 50 years! Giannis was named NBA Finals MVP by everyone. He was the youngest Finals MVP since Kawhi Leonard in 2014. He also joined Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players to win MVP, Finals MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year in their careers.

Recent Seasons and Records (2021–Present)

Antetokounmpo in a game in 2021

On October 19, 2021, Giannis received his first NBA championship ring. He then had a great game with 32 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists. On January 13, 2022, he had a 30-point triple-double in less than 30 minutes. This was a first in NBA history. On February 15, Giannis scored a season-high 50 points and 14 rebounds. On March 29, he scored 40 points, 14 rebounds, and had a game-winning block. The next game, he scored 44 points and passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the Bucks' all-time leading scorer. Giannis finished the regular season averaging almost 30 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 5.8 assists. He was the first player ever to average 25+ points, 10+ rebounds, and 5+ assists in four different seasons.

In the 2022 playoffs, Giannis continued to break records. He passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most playoff points in Bucks history. He had another playoff triple-double. In one game, he had 44 points, 20 rebounds, and 6 assists, joining Shaquille O'Neal and Wilt Chamberlain in this rare achievement. The Bucks lost in Game 7 to the Boston Celtics. Giannis became the first player in NBA history to average 31+ points, 14+ rebounds, and 6+ assists in an entire postseason.

On October 22, 2022, Giannis scored 44 points and 12 rebounds in under 28 minutes. He also became the Bucks' all-time leader in free throws made. On November 4, he got his 30th career triple-double. This helped the Bucks start the season with their best record ever (8-0). On December 28, Giannis scored 45 points and a career-high 22 rebounds. The next game, he had 43 points and 20 rebounds. He joined Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor as the only players with back-to-back games of 40+ points, 20+ rebounds, and 5+ assists.

On January 3, 2023, Giannis scored a career-high 55 points. The next night, he had his 31st career triple-double with 30 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists. On January 23, he was named an Eastern Conference captain for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. On February 2, Giannis scored 54 points and led the Bucks to a comeback win. He joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the only Bucks players with at least three 50-point games in a season. On February 16, Giannis passed Paul Pressey for the most assists in Bucks history. He finished the regular season with a career-high 31.1 points per game. He also led the Bucks to the best record in the league (58-24).

In the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs, Giannis hurt his back in Game 1 and missed two games. He returned in Game 4 with a triple-double. However, the Bucks were eliminated in five games.

On October 23, 2023, Giannis signed another big contract extension with the Bucks. On November 9, he scored 54 points and 12 rebounds. On December 13, Giannis scored a career-high and Bucks record 64 points! He also grabbed 14 rebounds. He was the first player since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000 to score 60+ points without making a three-pointer. On December 17, he became the Bucks' all-time rebounds leader, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. On December 19, he had a career-high 16 assists for his 37th career triple-double.

On January 24, 2024, Giannis recorded his 42nd career triple-double. The next day, he was named an Eastern Conference captain for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game. On April 9, Giannis suffered a calf injury and missed the rest of the regular season and the entire 2024 NBA playoffs.

On November 13, 2024, Giannis scored 59 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists. On December 17, Giannis and the Bucks won the NBA Cup. Giannis received the Tournament MVP award. On January 8, 2025, he had his 432nd career double-double. This passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most double-doubles in Bucks history.

Playing for Greece

Junior and Senior Teams

Giannis first played for the Greek Under-20 national team in July 2013. He averaged 8.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

In 2014, Giannis joined the senior Greek national basketball team. He helped Greece finish ninth in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. He averaged 6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds.

Giannis also played for Greece in EuroBasket 2015. Greece had many experienced players and was expected to win a medal. They reached the quarter-finals but lost to Spain, who went on to win the tournament. Giannis averaged 9.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.

He also played in the 2016 Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Greece did not make it to the 2016 Summer Olympics. He missed EuroBasket 2017 due to a knee injury.

Giannis played for Greece in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup. He was the first reigning NBA MVP to play in a World Cup. Greece finished 11th, which was a disappointing result.

He rejoined the team in August 2022. On August 25, 2022, Giannis scored a career-high 40 points for the national team. In September, Giannis played in EuroBasket 2022. On September 6, he scored 41 points in a game against Ukraine. This was one of the highest scores ever in a EuroBasket game. Greece lost to Germany in the quarter-finals. Giannis was the top scorer of the tournament and was named to the All-Tournament Team.

At the 2024 Summer Olympics, Giannis carried the Greek flag at the Opening Ceremonies. He played in four games and averaged a tournament-high 25.8 points. He was named to the tournament's All-Second Team. From 2014 to 2024, Giannis played in 37 official games for the Greek national team. He scored a total of 725 points, averaging 19.6 points per game.

How Giannis Plays

Antetokounmpo during the 2022 NBA All-Star Game

Giannis is 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 m) tall and weighs 242 pounds (110 kg). He is listed as a forward but can play all five positions. He is very athletic and can do many things on the court. Many people call him "positionless" because he's so good at everything.

Offense

Giannis is known for driving to the basket very well. He can cross half the court in just one dribble and get past many defenders. He has a special move called the Euro step that helps him attack the basket from far away.

However, some people have said that Giannis needs to improve his jump shot. He has only shot above 31% from three-point range once in his career. Other teams have used this to their advantage. For example, the Toronto Raptors built a "wall" of defenders to stop him from scoring close to the basket in 2019. After that, Giannis started shooting more three-pointers.

Giannis is also great at passing the ball. Even though he's not always the main ball handler, he helps set up many plays for his team. In the 2019–20 season, he was involved in 57.8% of the points the Bucks scored when he was on the court. He averaged almost 6 assists per game in the 2018–19 and 2019–20 seasons.

Defense

Giannis is also an excellent defensive player. He can guard players in all five positions. He often plays a "free safety" role, which means he can move around to block shots and stop attacks near the basket. He is very good at blocking shots, especially when opponents are running fast breaks.

With Giannis leading the defense, the Bucks have become one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. He won the 2020 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. He is often chosen for the NBA All-Defensive Team.

Awards and Honors

NBA HONORS

• NBA Champion: 2021
• NBA Finals MVP: 2021
• 2× NBA Most Valuable Player: 2019, 2020
• NBA Cup Champion: 2024
• NBA Cup MVP: 2024
• 2x NBA Cup All-Tournament Team:
  • All-Tournament Team 2023,
  • All-Tournament Team 2024
• NBA Defensive Player of the Year: 2020
• 9× NBA All-Star: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
• NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2021
• 4x NBA All-Star Captain: 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024
• NBA Most Improved Player: 2017
• 8× All-NBA Selection:
  • All-NBA First Team: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
  • All-NBA Second Team: 2017, 2018
• 5× All-Defensive Selection:
  • NBA All-Defensive First Team: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
  • NBA All-Defensive Second Team: 2017
• NBA All-Rookie Second Team: 2014
• NBA 75th Anniversary Team: 2021
• All-Time NBA European First Team:

GREEK BASKETBALL

• FIBA All Second Team Selection: Men's Basketball Tournament Paris Olympics 2024
• Best Greek Male Athlete 2020, 2021
• FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament: Tissot MVP 2024
• Flag Bearer for Greece 2024 Paris Olympics

EUROPEAN HONORS

• Euroscar European Player of the Year: 2018
• All-European Player of the Year: 2018
• 10x All-European Selection:
  • All-European First Team: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
• 6x All-European Small Forward of the Year 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020
• 4x All-European Power Forward of the Year 2021,2022, 2023, 2024
• EuroBasket Top Scorer: 2022
• EuroBasket All-Tournament Team: 2022

MEDIA

• Time 100: 2021
• PBWA Magic Johnson Award: 2022-23
• Best Male Athlete ESPY Award: 2019
• Best NBA Player ESPY Award: 2019
• BET Awards for Sportsman of the Year nominee: 2020, 2022
• Forbes List of the World's Top-10 Highest Paid Athlete: 2022, 2024

Amazing Records

• Giannis is the only NBA player to finish a regular season in the top 20 for total points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.
• He is the only NBA player to average at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block in multiple seasons.
• He is the only NBA player to average at least 30 points and shoot 60% or better from the field in a season.
• Giannis is the only non-American player to win the All-Star Game MVP award.
• He is the only player in NBA history to have 200 points, 100 rebounds, and 50 assists in a single playoff series.
• He is the only player in NBA history to average at least 31 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists in an entire postseason.
• He scored 50 points in the final game of the 2021 NBA Finals. This is the highest score in an NBA Finals close-out game, tied with Bob Petit (1957).
• Giannis is the second NBA player to average at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists while shooting 55% or better from the field in a season. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also did this in 1972.
• He is the third NBA player to win both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. The others are Michael Jordan (1987) and Hakeem Olajuwon (1993).
• He is one of only a few NBA players to have a game with 40 points, 20 rebounds, and 5 assists in the playoffs.
• He is one of only a few NBA players to lead his team in all five major stats (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks) in the same season.
• He scored 64 points in a game without making a three-point shot. This is the most points scored in an NBA game without a three-pointer since they became an official stat.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular Season

Playoffs

Outside of Basketball

In August 2022, Giannis worked with Calamos Advisors to create an exchange-traded fund. This fund invests in companies that are good for the environment.

In September 2022, Giannis became an executive producer for a National Geographic documentary called The Flagmakers. This film is about immigrants who work in an American flag factory. Giannis said the project was inspiring to him as an immigrant.

Personal Life

Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo playing basketball at a local court in Sepolia, Athens, in 2015

Giannis's father, Charles, was a Nigerian football player. His mother, Veronica, was a high jumper. Charles passed away in September 2017 at age 54. Giannis's parents gave each of their five sons both Greek and Nigerian names. Giannis's Nigerian name is Ugo. His parents came from different Nigerian ethnic groups. His father was Yoruba, and his mother is Igbo. The family name Adetokunbo means "the crown has returned from overseas." Giannis wears the number 34 to honor his parents, who were born in 1963 and 1964.

Giannis has two older brothers, Francis and Thanasis. He also has two younger brothers, Kostas and Alex. Giannis is a Christian and was raised in the Greek Orthodox Church. He and his brother Alex were baptized in the Greek Orthodox Church in 2012.

In early 2014, Giannis's family moved from Athens to Milwaukee. In July 2016, Giannis and Thanasis completed their mandatory military service in Greece. They served a shorter time because they live overseas.

Giannis's brother Thanasis also plays for the Milwaukee Bucks. His younger brother, Kostas, won an NBA Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. Their youngest brother, Alex, also plays professional basketball.

The Antetokounmpo brothers participating in the 2022 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge

Giannis started dating Mariah Riddlesprigger in the mid-2010s. They have two sons, Liam (born 2020) and Maverick (born 2021), and a daughter, Eva (born 2023). Giannis and Mariah got married on September 1, 2024.

On March 13, 2020, Giannis and his family donated $100,000 to the staff of the Fiserv Forum. This was to help them when they couldn't work during the COVID-19 pandemic. They also donated 20,000 masks to people in Greece.

In August 2021, Giannis became a part-owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, a Major League Baseball team. Giannis also loves soccer and supports the Italian team Inter Milan. In March 2023, Giannis and his brothers became part-owners of the Major League Soccer club Nashville SC.

In June 2023, Giannis and his brothers also became owners in an online candy company called Candy Funhouse. In September 2023, Giannis became an Executive Producer for a reality TV show created by Candy Funhouse.

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See also

In Spanish: Giannis Antetokounmpo para niños