,
16 tweets,
7 min read
Read on Twitter
the NBA playoffs start tomorrow. for casual/non-fans, here's a basketball-free intro to the game's best young player, the Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo. his is one of the best stories in sports
Giannis (right) was born in Athens in 1994. his parents were recent immigrants from Nigeria... by Greek law the family did not qualify for citizenship. officially speaking Giannis was countryless till he was 18. (photo from his brother, @Thanasis_ante43) 
the Antetokounmpos were poor. Giannis and his brother had to hustle to feed the family, while fearing deportation throughout. (quote from this great piece by @wojespn, luv u woj unblock me woj) sports.yahoo.com/news/from-sell…
when Giannis was 13, a Greek basketball coach saw the brothers playing soccer. they had never played basketball, but the coach saw toughness in them. he gave Giannis & Thanasis a shot. at first, they shared a pair of sneakers. (excerpt from this piece: oregonlive.com/nba/2017/02/gi…)
Giannis took to basketball, and *grew*... by senior year he was 6'9". in 2013 he led unheralded Filathlitikos to a chance at promotion into Greece's first division. they lost in three overtimes. Giannis cried into his jersey. it was his last pro game in Greece
basketball scouts all over the world took note of Giannis's size and athleticism: here was a kid who could cross the court in nine steps. in 2013, a Spanish club offered him 400,00 euros a year... shortly after, the Milwaukee Bucks drafted him. Giannis and family came to America
Giannis's rise to fame became a flashpoint in Greece's immigration debate -- the 18-year-old endured truly horrific racist attacks from Greek right-wing politicians. (excerpt from this piece by @AmosBarshad grantland.com/features/milwa…)
but Giannis was in Milwaukee now, with more money than he'd ever imagined. he bought himself a PlayStation 4 for $399 but felt too guilty about the purchase to enjoy it
Giannis didn't play much at first, but fans in Milwaukee and elsewhere fell for him immediately. Giannis enjoyed life in the way that we all hope to. his tweet commemorating his first smoothie was the stuff of instant NBA Twitter legend
in a league where seemingly everyone was a brand-polishing entrepreneur, Giannis was just a sweet, genuine kid. one day he hitched a ride to the game with a fan. (from brewhoop.com/2014/3/6/54780…)
by the way: are you struggling w/ the pronunciation of his last name? Giannis knows. he's got you
Giannis kept working and growing. by his fourth season he was a 6'11" All-Star. had the NBA changed him? this joke from his first 2016 media appearance suggested otherwise
cut to this year: Giannis is 24, and will likely be named the NBA's Most Valuable Player. his Bucks have the best record in the league. and basketball fans speak of him in reverent tones: "you have to see this guy in person"
but Milwaukee's Milwaukee and Giannis doesn't do much media work, so if you don't follow basketball you probably haven't heard much about him. maybe you heard this story. if you didn't, it's worth a look deadspin.com/giannis-anteto…
regardless, you'll be hearing more about him soon. with LeBron James slowing down and the Warriors on the verge of a breakup, the league may soon belong to a Greek/Nigerian/countryless smoothie fan who's as likeable as he is incredible. meet Giannis Antetokounmpo. you'll like him
and if you want more meat than my random dilettantish threads, read one of the pieces linked above or this excellent one by @BobSaietta theguardian.com/sport/2015/jan…
