The son of immigrants from Nigeria, Giannis was born in Athens, Greece, on December 6, 1994. His parents, as immigrants without work permits, could not easily find work, so Giannis and his older brother Thanasis helped by selling watches, handbags, and sunglasses in the streets. Athens was a particularly hostile place for immigrants (especially for those with dark skin) and the family frequently had to move rental properties as landlords gave them 24 hours’ notice to leave for no reason other than they were immigrants. This meant transporting by hand their most expensive possession, a fridge, on a skateboard through the streets along with a few bags of clothes. This was always in the middle of night to avoid being beaten up by members of the popular Golden Dawn, a far-right neo-Nazi ultranationalist political party.

Growing up, he felt like an outsider to both the Greek and Nigerian communities in Athens due to his parents' heritage and different skin colour. For the first 18 years of his life, Giannis could not travel outside the country and was effectively stateless, having no papers from Greece or Nigeria.

However, in 2007, he discovered his gift. He started playing basketball. On April 28, 2013, Giannis officially made himself eligible for the 2013 NBA draft. He was eventually issued Greek citizenship on May 9, 2013, less than two months before the NBA draft.  On July 30, 2013, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Bucks. As they say, the rest is history.

Giannis made his NBA debut on October 13, 2013, at the age of 18 years, 311 days, as one of the youngest NBA players ever. By the 2016–17 season, he had established himself as one of the NBA’s most devastating slashers and transition scorers. His rare combination of size and speed frequently enables him to cross half a court in a single dribble and blowing past multiple defenders.

Blessed with an incredible physique and athleticism, standing 6 feet 11 inches tall and weighing 242 pounds (110 kg), Giannis is known as one of the best all-around players in the NBA, and many analysts have declared him "positionless" and as embodying the future of the league.

One of the most decorated players in NBA history, Giannis won consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player Awards in 2019 and 2020, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James as the only players in NBA history to win two MVPs before turning 26. Along with his MVP award, he was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, becoming only the third player, after Michael Jordan (1988) and Hakeem Olajuwon (1994), to win both awards in the same season. In 2021, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to their first NBA championship since 1971 and was named Finals MVP. The same year, he was honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

The first MVP nod triggered huge bonuses from sponsors like Nike, which extended its deal with him in 2017. Nike released the Zoom Freak 1 in 2019; it was the largest initial signature shoe launch in Nike basketball history.

Behind the Design (in the words of Nike)

Nike Zoom Air Freak 1

For Giannis' first-ever signature sneaker, we designed a versatile basketball shoe that uniquely honors him and his family.

Family Inspired Traction

In honor of Giannis' late father Charles, the multidirectional traction pattern features three large roses. "The roses are a tribute to my dad because he loved them, " Giannis says. "With every step I take, he's always going to be there helping me."

Brotherly Love

Like the four Antetokounmpo brothers, the forefoot lacing bands work together to form a strong support system. "The straps represent my four brothers, who mean the world to me," Giannis says. "Since day one, they've always kept my feet on the ground and keep me humble."