Giannis Antetokounmpo is now one of the NBA’s brightest stars. Imagine you were to survey NBA General Managers and ask, “if you were starting a franchise tomorrow, who would be your No. 1 pick?” Giannis would be right up there with Anthony Davis.
The 23-year-old is making $22.5 million this year, and he will make a whole lot more than that over the course of his career between playing money and endorsements. But Giannis, AKA the “Greek Freak,” was not always well off.
He narrated that story as he recently sat down for a 60 Minutes interview with Steve Kroft. In the interview, which aired on CBS Sunday night, Giannis shared stories of his past life in Greece. He said he used to sell goods on the streets of Athens. His lot included watches, CDs and DVDs, and glasses. He hustled to help support his family, which struggled greatly financially.
Watch more from the segment below.
How greatly did they struggle? Well, at one point he and his older brother, Thanasis, who now plays for Panathinaikos of the Greek Basket League, had to share a pair of shoes. When one would check out of the game and the other would check in, they would pass the shoes off.
Giannis’ parents were Nigerian immigrants in Greece. The Bucks picked him No. 15 overall in the 2013 NBA Draft after he had played one season for Filathlitikos.
Giannis is averaging 27.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. He was a starter in this year’s NBA All-Star Game and will earn a spot on one of the league’s All-NBA teams.
Though his shooting remains a struggle — he’s hitting only 31.0 percent of his three-point attempts this season — his all-around potential is sky high. If he can figure out his jumper, he may indeed go down as one of the best to ever play the game.
Milwaukee currently holds the East’s No. 7 spot. If the season ended today, the Bucks would play the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.
