NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo’s journey takes center stage in a fresh documentary by Prime Video Sports. The 29-year-old Milwaukee Bucks luminary reveals a poignant moment where he contemplated leaving basketball behind following the passing of his father, Charles Antetokounmpo, in 2017.
In the first trailer for Giannis: The Marvelous Journey, Antetokounmpo, 29, and his family members recount how the tragic loss affected their family.
“I said, ‘I don’t want to play no more,’ ” Giannis says in the trailer before his fiancée, Mariah Riddlesprigger, recalls. “I thought he was done.”
Charles was 54 years old when he suddenly died of a heart attack in Milwaukee, just three years into Giannis’s NBA career. Despite this devastating loss, Giannis chose not to walk away from the sport he loves. Instead, he persevered and went on to become one of the greatest basketball players in the world, demonstrating remarkable resilience in the face of adversity.
“We’re all going to die one day, so go conquer the world,” Giannis says in the trailer.”
The Prime Video documentary meticulously traces Giannis’s path from a humble upbringing in Greece as the son of Nigerian immigrants to his ascent to the pinnacle of the basketball world. It all began with the courageous decision of Giannis’s parents, Charles and Veronica Antetokounmpo, to depart from their Nigerian roots and seek opportunities in Greece when Giannis and his brothers were mere children.
Veronica candidly shares their motivation, stating they “left Nigeria looking for a better life” for their children. Yet, life in Greece presented its own set of obstacles and hardships, underscoring the challenges they faced in pursuit of a brighter future.
Giannis’ brothers, Thanasis, Kostas, and Alex Antetokounmpo reveal the harsh reality of their immigrant experience in Greece, describing a life overshadowed by fear. They reflect on Giannis’s unwavering commitment to shielding their family from harm, illustrating his profound sense of responsibility even from a young age.
“You want the best for your brothers,” Giannis says through tears in the trailer. “I’m just a hard worker who’s trying to survive,” he adds, “Because I’m scared of losing all of this.”
Before Giannis even entertained the idea of playing professionally, he and his brothers reminisce about their humble beginnings, spending hours at a local internet cafe in Greece. There, they stumbled upon the mesmerizing highlights of NBA icons such as Kevin Durant and LeBron James, little knowing that one day Giannis would share the court with these same luminaries in the league.
His brother, Thanasis, also shares the court with him as a fellow player for the Milwaukee Bucks.
In 2021, Giannis led the Milwaukee Bucks to a historic NBA championship victory, solidifying his status as one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
“The difference between a coward and a hero…it’s how you deal with fear,” Giannis says in the trailer.
The Prime Video Sports documentary, produced by Words + Pictures and helmed by director Kristen Lappas, represents a milestone as it offers the first-hand perspectives of Giannis’s family on their shared odyssey.
The documentary showcases interviews with a roster of former and current NBA luminaries, including Jason Kidd, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, Kenny Smith, Vin Baker, and Ernie Johnson, adding depth to Giannis’s remarkable journey.
