The life of NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo is the subject of a new documentary from Prime Video Sports, in which the 29-year-old Milwaukee Bucks star admits that he almost quit basketball after his father, Charles Antetokounmpo, passed away in 2017.
In the first trailer for Giannis: A wonderful journey, shared exclusively with PEOPLE, Antetokounmpo, 29, and members of his family talk about how the tragic loss has affected their family.
“I said, ‘I don’t want to play anymore,'” Giannis says in the trailer before reminiscing about his fiancée, Mariah Riddlesprigger. “I thought he was done.”
Charles was 54 when he died suddenly of a heart attack in Milwaukee, just three years into Giannis’ NBA career.
But instead of walking away from the sport he loves, Giannis became one of the greatest basketball players in the world after losing his father.
“We’re all going to die someday, so go conquer the world,” Giannis says in the trailer.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s rookie card sold for $1.8 million and became the most expensive basketball card
The Prime Video documentary follows Giannis’ journey from a poor childhood in Greece as the son of Nigerian immigrants to the very top of the basketball world, beginning with the decision by Giannis’ parents, Charles and Veronica Antetokounmpo, to leave their roots in Nigeria and head to Greece when Giannis and his brothers were only children.
Veronica explains that she and her husband “left Nigeria looking for a better life” for their children. However, their life in Greece proved to be a different challenge.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, Alex Antetokounmpo, Veronica “Vera” Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Kostas Antetokounmpo attend the world premiere of The Rise.
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty
Giannis’ brothers, Thanasis, Kostas and Alex Antetokounmpo, say they lived “in fear” as immigrants in Greece and explain how Giannis “always tried to protect” his family.
“You want the best for your brothers,” Giannis says through tears in the trailer. “I’m just a hard worker trying to survive,” he adds, “because I’m afraid I’m going to lose all of this.”
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Giannis Antetokounmpo. Andrew D. Bernstein/getty
Before he even dreamed of playing professionally, Giannis and his brothers recall visiting a local Internet cafe in Greece where they discovered the highlights of NBA stars like Kevin Durant and LeBron James, who they would later compete against in the league.
His brother, Thanasis, also currently plays for the Milwaukee Bucks.
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In 2021, Giannis led the Bucks to the NBA championship, cementing his legacy as an all-time basketball great.
“The difference between a coward and a hero is how you deal with fear,” Giannis says in the trailer.
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Giannis Antetokounmpo in the movie “Giannis: The Miracle Journey”.
Courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios
The Prime Video Sports film marks the first time the Giannis family has given first-person accounts of their journey together.
The documentary features interviews with former and current NBA stars, including Jason Kidd, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, Kenny Smith, Vin Baker and Ernie Johnson.
Giannis: A wonderful journey premieres on Prime Video on February 19.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education