Who are Giannis Antetokounmpo's parents, Charles and Veronica Antetokounmpo?
Dubbed The Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the greatest European players ever. He holds the title of the only player in NBA history to win two MVPs before turning 26, aside from NBA icons Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James. But do you know Giannis Antetokounmpo's parents played a significant role?
Source: Getty Images
Aside from the Milwaukee Bucks power forward player, Antetokounmpo's parents are proud to have three other NBA rising stars. Their children took after their athletic genes and are now making waves in the world of sport. The Antetokounmpo family's story is that of grass to grace, parental support for their kids, and close family ties.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's profile summary
| Full name | Giannis Sina Ugo Antetokounmpo |
| Nickname | The Greek Freak |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of birth | 6 December 1994 |
| Age | 29 years old (as of 2023) |
| Zodiac sign | Sagittarius |
| Place of birth | Athens, Greece |
| Nationality | Greek-Nigerian |
| Ethnicity | African American |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Height in feet | 6'11" |
| Height in centimetres | 211 |
| Weight in pounds | 242 |
| Weight in kilograms | 110 |
| Father | Charles Antetokounmpo |
| Mother | Veronica Antetokounmpo |
| Siblings | 4 |
| Marital status | Engaged |
| Partner | Maria Riddlesprigger |
| Children | 3 |
| Profession | Professional basketball player |
| Net worth | $70 million |
| Social media account |
Who are Giannis Antetokounmpo's parents?
Giannis Antetokounmpo's mom and dad are Veronica and the late Charles Antetokounmpo. Giannis' dad was born in Lagos, Nigeria, on 3 August 1963. He was a Nigerian football player.
Veronica, Giannis Antetokounmpo's mom, was born on 7 April 1964. She was a high Jumper in Nigeria. Giannis allegedly wears the number 34 in honour of his parents, who were born in 1963 and 1964.
How did Giannis Antetokounmpo's parents meet?
Information on how they met and when the couple married is unknown, but they had their first son, Francis, in 1988 in Lagos, Nigeria. They left him with his grandparents and migrated to Greece in 1991.
Where are Giannis' parents originally from?
Giannis' mom and dad are from Nigeria but migrated to Greece in 1991 to search for greener pastures. His mother is from the Igbo tribe in Nigeria, while his late father was from the Yoruba tribe in Nigeria.
Legendary Nigerian basketball player Hakeem Olajuwon reveals their original family name as Adétòkunbọ̀, meaning "the crown has returned from overseas." Antetokounmpo came because of misspellings and pronunciation of Giannis' surname on his Greek passport.
Source: Getty Images
Charles and Veronica Antetokounmpo's children
Besides Giannis, Charles and his wife also had four more children: Thanasis, Giannis, Kostas, and Alex. Their details are given below:
- Francis was born on 8 October 1988. He played professional soccer in Greece;
- Thanasis was born on 18 July 1992. He won an NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021;
- Kostas was born on 20 November 1997. He won the NBA championship with the L.A. Lakers in 2020;
- Alex is the youngest son, born on 27 August 2001. He also plays basketball.
Can Giannis speak Greek?
Because he was born and raised in Greece, he considers himself Greek and speaks the language fluently. However, his mom groomed him and his siblings at home with the Nigerian culture of respect and discipline. She spoke Igbo with the children daily.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's parents' life in Greece
In Greece, Giannis' parents were unlawful immigrants without documentation and work permit. They faced issues of deportation and racial discrimination. Veronica and her husband hawked goods like handbags and sunglasses and did odd jobs for survival.
The children faced hardship and hustled every day for food. They slept on one bed while their parents slept in an old cabin. The children could not befriend the Greeks because of fear of deportation. Also, none of them got citizenship status.
Source: Getty Images
Despite this, Giannis' father wanted him to be a footballer and trained the other kids. He supported him in his passion for becoming a basketball player. Giannis eventually paved the way for his parents in 2007 when coach Spiros Velliniatis told them to join 13-year-old Giannis in the semi-pro club Filathlitikos. The deal was to find them jobs that paid 800 euros monthly.
Giannis' rise to stardom
In 2011, Giannis joined the senior men's team of Filathlitikos and started making waves. After he led his team to victory in 2012, he was granted Greek citizenship in May 2013 before being drafted into the NBA in the 1st round as 15th overall. He also obtained his Nigerian passport in 2015. The family also obtained visas and moved with Giannis to the United States in 2014.
Giannis lost his father at 54 in September 2017. He died of a heart attack. Since then, his mother has been the backbone of her kids. She is Giannis' biggest fan and the brain behind Giannis signing the $228,000,000 contract with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021.
He celebrated and honoured her with his first MVP win. In the same 2021, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou granted Greek honorary citizenship to Veronica and Alex, the last born of the family.
What does the Charles Antetokounmpo Foundation do?
The non-profit organisation helps young people and families in need. They create community centres and sponsor charitable causes. They give funds to fight for mental health and other cases. Charles Antetokounmpo Foundation also has the AntetokounBros Basketball Academy for aspiring basketball players.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's parents sacrificed and laboured for their children's better life and success. Although his father is no longer alive, his mother now enjoys the dividends of her labour and a united family.
READ ALSO: Storm Reid's parents: Facts about Rodney and Robyn Simpson Reid
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Source: Briefly News
