![]() ![]() ![]() Greece have been underperforming for years, even when Giannis was able to join them. However, what he still lacks in order to consolidate his status in Greece is to be successful with the national team. The NBA games are a strong asset for any TV platform in the country, but the need to buy a subscription in order to watch them hasn't touched the majority of the local viewers.Īs one could expect from a global star, Giannis's popularity in Greece is immense, especially among the younger generations, who watch NBA games more regularly. Milwaukee went on a historic title race with Antetokounmpo stealing the show, in a summer period when nothing important sports-wise had been going on in Greece. In the case of the Finals, the situation was a bit different. Greeks, as it happens with many countries where the overall basketball level on the club level is advanced, will rarely watch an NBA regular-season game, even if Giannis is in it. It's not only that the time (4 in the morning in Greece) is far from convenient. Giannis's success makes an interesting contrast with Greek people showing only occasional interest in the NBA. Over the last years, the Greek government has begun to capitalize on his stardom, making him an official national tourism ambassador in 2018. ![]() Eventually, the Greek government provided citizenship to their rising star before the 2013 NBA Draft, ensuring that Antetokounmpo would be identified as Greek on the world stage. Thus, without papers from Greece or Nigeria, Antetokounmpo was considered stateless, despite having lived in Greece his entire life. Greece does not offer birthright citizenship and requires at least one parent to hold Greek citizenship for the child to receive it. ![]() The story of him and his family selling consumer goods such as watches and hats to keep their family afloat was widely known, and it has already become the subject of a Hollywood film. Giannis’ family faced the threats of potential deportation back to Nigeria and anti-immigrant attitudes. Likewise, the Milwaukee Bucks have repeatedly reached out to the Greek-speaking audience and fanbase worldwide, either by Twitter posts in Greece or by celebrating the country's history.Īlthough the NBA has been proven a unique organization in terms of embracing the diversification of talent, Greece remains a closed-off society to a large extent. It's certain that through Antetokounmpo, young Nigerian or Greek basketball fans now have a more active connection to the USA and a deeper understanding of American culture. His contribution is and will remain invaluable, but now Greece has a new "king" who's called Giannis Antetokounmpo. Galis was a poor emigrant who lifted Greek basketball way beyond any expectation or precedent. It was once shown to Greeks by the legendary Nikos Galis, whose status as the best basketball player ever to emerge from the country seems shakier than ever before. Giannis Antetokounmpo is regarded as an example of what the power of will and perseverance can lead to. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis posted a tweet with a photo of his TV screen while watching the Finals. The hashtags "Greek Freak," "Bucks," "Giannis," "Sepolia" (the place where he grew up in Athens), and "Greece" are some of the trends that dominated early Wednesday morning, not only in the Mediterranean country but all over the world. The "Greek Freak" set Twitter on fire in Greece, with most trends relating to the great win of Milwaukee. His joy was shared from afar by many Greeks, who set an alarm clock or stayed sleepless to watch him excel on the world's biggest basketball stage. ![]()
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