Giannis Antetokounmpo Confirms Marriage to Wife Mariah Riddlesprigger: ‘Celebration of Our Love’ (Exclusive)

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Mariah Riddlesprigger are teammates for life!

Speaking to PEOPLE exclusively at a launch event in partnership with Degree on Monday, Sept. 23, the Milwaukee Bucks star confirmed that he married his longtime girlfriend in Greece surrounded by family and friends.

Antetokounmpo, who was born and raised in Athens before moving to the U.S. after being selected by the Bucks in the 2013 NFL Draft, says he and Riddlesprigger “always talked about” returning to Greece for the wedding.

It was a choice they made “as a couple,” the NBA player says of their destination wedding. “We could have all the people who were close to us, our family,” he recalls.

“Most of my teammates, Bucks teammates, former teammates … they were there,” Antetokounmpo continues, noting that his “friends and business partners” were also in attendance. “My children were there,” he will surely add.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Mariah Riddlesprigger and family at the world premiere of The Rise in June 2022 Jesse Grant/Getty

Antetokounmpo and Riddlesprigger are parents to three children: sons Maverick Shai and Liam Charles, and daughter Eva Brooke.

The couple has been known for years for keeping their personal life a secret, which is why their wedding ceremony was also modest. While few details have been made public about the special day, Antetokounmpo tells PEOPLE the event was held “four hours away” from his hometown.

“We had an amazing few days together. We had fun,” Antetokounmpo recalls. “It was a celebration of our love. Now we are one. And I’m happy that we did it. I feel like a lot of people had fun.”

While they didn’t share the exact date they tied the knot, both Antetokounmpo and Riddlesprigger shared Instagram posts from Greece in early September. “Good life! Retaking my instagram!! 🇬🇷🤎🧿,” the couple wrote alongside a carousel of pictures in a joint post.

“Sometimes you have to pop out and show yourself,” read the caption of another set of photos, in which Riddlesprigger is dressed in a white dress and smiling from ear to ear.

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The two-time NBA MVP and Riddlesprigger were together for several years, although they always kept their relationship under wraps.

Antetokounmpo’s announcement of their engagement was similarly low-key, as he sidestepped the news during comments at a September 2023 press conference.

While talking about the couple’s volunteer work at Milwaukee’s Diaper Mission, Antetokounmpo said, “Soon [I’m going] to be married to this beautiful woman beside me.”

Riddlesprigger, who could also be seen wearing a large diamond ring on her left finger, then flashed a brief smile as her fiance shared the exciting news. She later confirmed the engagement to PEOPLE, though the couple didn’t share any additional details about the timeline or the actual proposal.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Mariah Riddlesprigger attend the AURORA INSTITUTE special dinner hosted by Christian Angermayer, Louise Tabbiner, Henry and Souraya Chalhoub at Le Beauvallon on July 23, 2022.

Julien M. Hekimian/Getty

A few days later, the couple had their third child together, daughter Eva Brooke. She joined the couple’s two sons, Liam, who was born in 2020, and Maverick, who was born in 2021.

In a joint post on Instagram, they announced the news by sharing a photo of their sons next to the carrier. “Welcome home Eva Brooke Antetokounmpo 🤍 daddy’s girl and brother’s little sister 👦🏽👦🏽👧🏽,” the caption read.

Antetokounmpo later celebrated Riddlesprigger’s birthday when he asked to “spend the next 100 years” with her in a sweet Instagram post. “I love you baby happy birthday 🤎🤎.”

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The fashion entrepreneur also paid tribute to her man online. On his 27th birthday in 2022, she wrote in a heartfelt post: “Giannis, I adore everything about you. My life would be boring without your light. The father you are to our boys is breathtaking. Happy birthday my love, I promise this year will be magical 💛.”

She also thanked him for making her life a “fairytale” as she dedicated a random Instagram post to him last April. “This post is simply dedicated to the man who made all my wildest dreams come true!”

Mariah Riddlesprigger and Giannis Antetokounmpo at the New York premiere of WhatsApp’s “Naija Odyssey” at the Metrograph on September 20, 2022.

Michael Loccisano/Getty

Part of what Riddlesprigger loves about her current husband is his dedication to giving back. “If Giannis or someone is passionate about something, we all get behind and help them move forward with it,” she told PEOPLE of the work the couple does through his family’s foundation, the Charles Antetokounmpo Family Foundation (CAFF), which is named in honor of Giannis’ late father.

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She said it was “amazing” and “touching” to see her family make an impact on the community – especially her boyfriend. “It shows that he is much more than a basketball player.”

“Yes, people enjoy watching him on the screen or watching him in person running up and down the field and doing all these amazing things, but off the field people don’t see him 100%,” she continued. “He’s such a genuine person and I think that’s amazing. He enjoys doing what he does and meeting people.”

Antetokounmpo’s open and honest personality was clear when he opened up to PEOPLE at a launch event in New York on Monday in partnership with Degree. The basketball player released a limited edition Greek Freak antiperspirant deodorant that is available at Walmart.

“We have the same vision, the same values. It’s a great fit,” he says of teaming up with Degree. “They let me be playful and fun. That’s what I did with the deodorant, which is pretty great!”

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Source: HIS Education