Giannis Antetokounmpo has been in the NBA for three years, and he’s averaging 26.0 points in the playoffs for the Milwaukee Bucks, up from 22.9 points in the regular season.
Everyone knows him as the “Greek Freak,” an 6-foot-11-inch beast on the court. However, it’s his backstory that intrigues fans all over the league.
As a child in Athens, Antetokousnmpo was a street peddler with his brother just so his family could eat and pay the bills.
“We would be out on the street together, selling a toy, a watch, something, and we raise $10,” his brother, Thanasis, told Yahoo Sports in 2014. “And that is good, because we didn’t starve today. We’re going to go home. We’re going to have something to eat. And it is a good day.”
Nike released an ad as part of their “Come Out of Nowhere” campaign this week highlighting Antetokounmpo’s unlikely road to the NBA. Here it is:
If you’d like to read about his path to basketball’s biggest stage, check out Adrian Wojnarowski’s piece on Yahoo. It’s well worth your time.
