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In Greece, home of forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 50
points to carry the Bucks to the 2021 NBA title, the news
dominated social media on Wednesday.
"Incredible @Giannis_An34!," Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis
tweeted. "Greeks everywhere celebrate!"
Born in Greece to Nigerian parents, Antetokounmpo and his
brothers sold trinkets on the street of Athens to survive. They
grew up fearing deportation and Antetokounmpo was not granted
Greek citizenship until age 19.
His incredible rags-to-riches story has moved Greeks who give
Antetokounmpo roaring cheers whenever he plays in Greece.
Fans had created a giant mural of Giannis in his Milwaukee Bucks
jersey across the court where he and his brothers practiced in
their old neighborhood of Sepolia.
The 26-year-old, whose phenomenal rise from a lanky boy in
Athens to the NBA has earned him the nickname "Greek Freak",
received the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP award after averaging
35.2 points and 13.2 rebounds against the Phoenix Suns.
The feat produced a rare show of unity across Greece's fractious
political scene.
"Children of immigrants who lived through injustice and
racism... it is our honor that you are Greeks," leftist Syriza
leader and former prime minister Alexis Tsipras said,
congratulating Giannis and his brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo,
who also plays for the Bucks.
"From Sepolia and the hard life of an immigrant family to the
top of world basketball, always with the same clear & modest
look in their eyes," Greece's communist KKE party said.
He is expected to arrive in Athens on Saturday.
"If there aren't 100,000 people at the airport waiting for me
and my family, I'm not flying," Antetokounmpo joked in comments
to Greek website sport24.
(Reporting by Karolina Tagaris; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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