When Did Giannis Join the NBA?
Giannis Antetokounmpo was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2013. He became the Bucks’ starting small forward in 2016.
Giannis’ Early Life
Giannis Antetokounmpo was born in Athens, Greece, on December 6, 1994, to Veronica and Charles Antetokounmpo. He has four brothers--Thanasis, Alex, Francis, and Kostas--and one sister, Marilou. His parents were Nigerian immigrants who had met in Athens and married soon after. Charles worked as a bus driver, while Veronica stayed at home to care for the children.
Giannis was born in Greece in 1994
Giannis was born in Greece in 1994. He began playing basketball at age 6, and he soon joined a local club team. When Giannis was just 12 years old, he was 6 feet 3 inches tall, and he continued to grow. He eventually joined the Greek junior national team, and he also played for a professional team in Greece called Filathlitikos. In 2013, at the age of 19, Giannis decided to leave Greece to pursue his dream of playing in the NBA. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round of the 2013 NBA draft.
He began playing basketball at a young age
Giannis began playing basketball at a young age and picked up the sport quickly. He started playing for the junior team of his local club, Filathlitikos, when he was just six years old. From there, he moved up to the senior team when he was just sixteen.
In 2012, at the age of eighteen, Giannis declared himself eligible for the NBA draft. He was not selected in the first two rounds but was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round with the thirty-sixth pick overall. Giannis made his debut with the Bucks during the 2013-2014 season and has been with the team ever since.
He has improved tremendously over his seven years in the league and is now considered one of the best players in the NBA. In 2019, he was named Most Valuable Player and led his team to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Giannis’ NBA Career
Giannis Antetokounmpo was born in 1994 in Athens, Greece. He started playing professional basketball in 2012, when he was 18 years old. He was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2013 NBA draft. Giannis became a starter for the Bucks in the 2014-2015 season and has been selected to the NBA All-Star team three times.
Giannis was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2013
Giannis Antetokounmpo was born in Greece in 1994. He began playing professional basketball in Greece in 2011, and he was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2013 NBA draft. Giannis has played for the Bucks his entire NBA career.
He won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in 2014
Giannis Antetokounmpo was born in Athens, Greece, on December 6, 1994. He began playing organized basketball at age 12 and soon became one of the top players in Greece’s second-tier professional league. In 2012, he caught the attention of NBA scouts with his performance at the Under-18 European Championship. He was drafted 15th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2013 NBA draft.
He won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in 2014 after averaging 12 points, five rebounds, and one assist per game. He struggled with injuries during his second season but still managed to improve his statistical averages to 16 points, seven rebounds, and two assists per game. His breakout season came in 2016-17 when he averaged 22 points, eight rebounds, and five assists per game while leading the Bucks to their first playoff appearance since 2010. He was named an All-Star for the first time that season and was named to the All-NBA Second Team.
In 2017-18, Giannis averaged 26 points, 10 rebounds, and four assists per game while leading the Bucks to their best record since 1981. He was named an All-Star starter for the first time and was named the NBA Most Valuable Player after finishing first in voting. He continued to improve in 2018-19, averaging 27 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists per game while leading the Bucks to their best record in franchise history (60-22).
Giannis was named an All-Star for the first time in 2017
In his sixth season, Giannis was named an All-Star for the first time. He was voted in as a starter, becoming the first Buck to do so since Marques Johnson in 1979. He was also selected to the All-NBA Second Team and the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.
Giannis’ Personal Life
Giannis was born in Athens, Greece on December 6, 1994. He is the oldest of three brothers. His father, Charles, was a former professional basketball player in Greece. His mother, Veronika, is a stay-at-home mom. He has two younger brothers, Thanasis and Kostas. When Giannis was just six years old, his father died of a heart attack.
Giannis is married to Mariah Riddlesprigger
It wasn’t until after he was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2013 that Giannis began to date Mariah Riddlesprigger, his now-wife. The two have been married since 2017 and have one daughter together, Liam Helen Adetokunbo Antetokounmpo, born in 2019.
They have two children together
Alexis and Giannis have two children together. Their first child, a son named Liam Charles Antetokounmpo, was born in 2017. Alexis gave birth to their second child, a daughter named Vera, in 2019.
Giannis is the older brother of Thanasis Antetokounmpo
Thanasis, Giannis’ older brother, joined the NBA G League in 2013. Giannis followed in his footsteps by joining the NBA in 2013 as well.