{"id":2191723,"date":"2024-03-04T03:21:02","date_gmt":"2024-03-04T08:21:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nba-star-giannis-antetokounmpos-greatest-gift-was-family-not-athleticism\/"},"modified":"2024-03-04T03:27:24","modified_gmt":"2024-03-04T08:27:24","slug":"nba-star-giannis-antetokounmpos-greatest-gift-was-family-not-athleticism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nba-star-giannis-antetokounmpos-greatest-gift-was-family-not-athleticism\/","title":{"rendered":"Giannis Antetokounmpo&#8217;s true treasure: family, not just athleticism"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fnba-star-giannis-antetokounmpos-greatest-gift-was-family-not-athleticism%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2191723&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>There are two ways to view \u200cthe new documentary \u201cGiannis: \u2064The Marvelous Journey,\u201d which tells the story of Giannis Antetokounmpo, a Greek-Nigerian basketball player who came from nothing to become one of the \u200cgreatest players in the NBA. One could see it as the \u200cstory of a young man \u200covercoming the unjust trials placed on nonwhite immigrants in the West.\u200b However, another (more accurate) way to see it is as the \u200bstory of an \u2062incredibly lucky young man who was wise enough to make the most\u200d of his opportunities and\u2063 value his family.<\/p>\n<p>Giannis\u2019 story begins\u2064 with his \u2063parents \u200clooking to leave Nigeria\u200c because of the lack of job \u2062prospects as well as the poisoned water supply. They eventually decide to live in Greece. \u2063While the parents are both working hard to put food on the table, the four brothers\u200c including Giannis grow up in an apparently hostile environment that treats them like outsiders.<\/p>\n<p>Of all the segments \u2062of\u2064 the documentary, \u2062this first one prompts the most questions.\u2064 How exactly did\u200b the Antetokounmpos \u2063make it to Greece? Were they documented and legal residents? What\u2063 jobs did Giannis\u2019 parents do? Did the boys attend school?\u200d If they were so poor,\u200c how did their father buy them a special edition PlayStation 2? \u200cIf Greeks \u200cwere\u2062 so xenophobic and racist, how\u2062 did the family not get deported or become victims of persecution?<\/p>\n<p>Instead of answering these questions, much of the commentary focuses its attention on a \u2063particular nationalist anti-immigration\u2062 party in Greece, the \u201cGolden Dawn,\u201d \u200band how Greeks are generally intolerant people.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, the\u200c Antetokounmpo boys,\u200c particularly Giannis, all grew up to be tall, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/what-i-saw-at-the-border-the-day-biden-let-trumps-wall-construction-die-in-the-desert\/\" title=\"What I Saw At The Border The Day Biden Let Trump\u2019s Wall Construction Die In The Desert\">athletic young men<\/a> ideally suited for basketball. By the time they were teenagers, they were\u200d all playing in competitive youth basketball leagues. \u200cAt 6\u201911\u2033 \u2064with a 7\u20193\u201d wingspan, Giannis quickly attracted\u2062 the attention of European league and NBA scouts who came to Greece to watch him work\u200b out. And in\u2062 Cinderella-like fashion, Giannis went from being a poor immigrant selling trinkets on the streets of Athens to being a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nba-creates-social-justice-award-named-for-kareem-abdul-jabbar\/\" title=\"NBA Creates Social Justice Award Named For Kareem Abdul-Jabbar\">professional basketball player<\/a>\u2064 for the Milwaukee Bucks.<\/p>\n<p>Missing Details:<br \/>\nAgain, more \u200bquestions go unanswered. Who taught Giannis \u2064how to play basketball? \u200dHow was he\u2063 discovered? How quickly did he transition into the NBA? It\u2019s\u2064 unclear, but Giannis\u200b and his \u200dbrothers mention how they would hang out at the internet cafe to watch highlight reels of famous basketball players.<\/p>\n<p>After sending remittances to his family \u200cfor a few years, Giannis \u200dmanages to have his family come join \u2063him in Milwaukee. \u2062This requires \u200dthe intervention of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/media-democrats-admit-they-expect-the-fbis-trump-raid-to-bait-people-into-violence\/\" title=\"Media, Democrats Admit They Expect The FBI\u2019s Trump Raid To Bait People Into Violence\">high-level politicians<\/a> who have to pull \u200csome strings to help his parents and brothers have their visas\u2063 approved. Even though this illustrates the dysfunctional U.S. immigration \u200csystem, for anyone familiar with the immigration process, it also indicates some serious issues with his family\u2019s documentation and legal status in\u2064 Greece.<\/p>\n<p>The rest of \u200cthe film plays out like most other stories of \u200dsuperstar athletes. Giannis trains and competes for a few \u2063years, gaining over 50 pounds in \u2062muscle \u2063and becoming the team\u2019s star. By 2020, he led his team into playoffs and \u200bwon back-to-back\u200d NBA Most Valuable Player awards. All that was left was\u2062 winning the championship. After \u2062mourning the sudden death\u2062 of his father,\u2064 and \u200d<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/british-lawmakers-call-for-investigation-over-meghan-markles-racism-claims\/\" title=\"British Lawmakers Call For Investigation Over Meghan Markle\u2019s Racism Claims\">seeking mental health treatment<\/a> (affirming the fashionable trend of superstar athletes being victims), and\u2063 even coming off a serious\u200b injury in less \u200cthan a week, he and his team finally won the championship in 2021.<\/p>\n<p>Gratitude and Family:<br \/>\nIn the film\u2019s conclusion, Giannis is shown\u2064 returning to Greece, setting up a foundation \u2062to help young immigrants. Unlike his wife and some of the commentators, Giannis has nothing but gratitude for his home country and Milwaukee. As well \u2062he should. He \u200dwas granted citizenship and paid millions for playing basketball. Had \u200dhis family stayed in \u200bNigeria, he would likely be unemployed and sick \u200bfrom contaminated water.<\/p>\n<p>That said, what really makes \u2064Giannis admirable is his devotion to his family. Despite the poverty and \u2063discrimination they faced, they stuck together \u200cand supported one another. Of the many lucky breaks\u200d Giannis had in his life, the\u2063 film makes clear\u2062 his family was the \u2062greatest of them.<\/p>\n<p>Overall, \u201cGiannis: The Marvelous Journey\u201d is uplifting and well-intended. \u2064The only \u2063two weaknesses are its awkward pro-immigration agenda \u2064and excessive runtime (almost two \u2064hours). In a world of narcissistic NBA players (see: LeBron James) \u200dGiannis Antetokounmpo is refreshingly likable, grounded, and\u200d humble. The NBA and other sports venues would do well to celebrate athletes like him and promote the culture of family \u2063he comes from.  <\/p>\n<h2>What is the \u200bstory behind Giannis Antetokounmpo?<\/h2>\n<p><span>Family is everything to \u2062Antetokounmpo who was born and\u200b raised\u2064 in Athens to Nigerian immigrant parents, but when\u2064 the Milwaukee Bucks\u200d signed him more than 10 years ago, the\u200c power forward had to leave his father, mother, and three brothers behind in order to pursue his pro basketball dreams. Gh the documentary does not provide all the details, it highlights\u2062 the remarkable journey of Giannis Antetokounmpo, a Greek-Nigerian basketball player who overcame \u2063various\u2063 challenges to become one\u200b of the greatest players in the NBA.\u200d The documentary can be viewed in two ways: as \u200cthe story\u2062 of a young man overcoming the trials faced by nonwhite immigrants in the West or as\u2064 the \u2064story of a fortunate individual who seized opportunities and valued his family.<\/p>\n<p>Giannis&#8217; story begins with \u200dhis parents&#8217; decision to leave Nigeria due to limited job prospects and a contaminated water supply. They chose to \u200dsettle\u200b in Greece, where \u2064they faced discrimination \u200dand hostility as outsiders. However, the documentary \u2063does not provide specific details about \u200bhow the\u200d Antetokounmpo family made it to Greece, their legal \u200cstatus, or their occupations. It also does not mention whether the boys\u2063 attended school \u2063or \u2062how their father managed to buy them a \u2062special edition\u200d PlayStation 2 despite their financial challenges. These \u2064unanswered questions leave room for speculation.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of\u2062 addressing these specific \u2063details, the documentary focuses on\u200c the nationalist anti-immigration party in \u2063Greece, the &#8220;Golden Dawn,&#8221; and generalizing Greeks as intolerant people.\u200b While this sheds light on the broader context of xenophobia\u2062 and racism, it does not directly\u200b answer the questions about the Antetokounmpo\u2063 family&#8217;s experiences.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, the Antetokounmpo brothers, especially Giannis,\u2064 grew up to be tall \u200band athletic young men well-suited for basketball. They played \u200bin competitive youth basketball leagues, \u2062and Giannis&#8217; exceptional height and skills caught the attention of \u2062European league and NBA scouts. Through \u2062their interest, he transitioned from selling trinkets on the streets \u200dof Athens to becoming a professional basketball player \u2064for the\u200d Milwaukee Bucks. \u2064However, the documentary does not \u2062provide details about who taught Giannis how to play basketball, how he was \u2064discovered, or the \u2064duration of his transition into the NBA.<\/p>\n<p>After sending remittances to his family for a few years, \u2062Giannis managed to have\u2064 them join him in\u200d Milwaukee. This process\u2064 required the intervention of high-level politicians to assist with visa approvals. However, the specifics \u2063of this \u2062intervention\u2063 are not mentioned in\u200d the documentary.<\/p>\n<p>In conclusion,\u200d the documentary \u200d&#8221;Giannis: The Marvelous Journey&#8221; \u2062tells \u2062the inspiring story\u200b of\u200c Giannis Antetokounmpo, a Greek-Nigerian basketball player who rose from humble \u200cbeginnings \u2064to become a prominent figure\u200c in the NBA. While the documentary \u200cdepicts certain \u200baspects of his journey, it leaves \u200bunanswered questions regarding the family&#8217;s immigration process, the\u200d source of Giannis&#8217; basketball skills, and the details of his transition into the NBA. Nevertheless, the documentary \u2063highlights the perseverance, talent, and family values that \u2064contributed to Giannis&#8217; success.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are two perspectives on the new documentary &#8220;Giannis: The Marvelous Journey.&#8221; It portrays Giannis Antetokounmpo, a Greek-Nigerian basketball player who rose from nothing to become an NBA legend. It can be viewed as a tale of a young man triumphing over unfair challenges or as the inspiring journey of a remarkable athlete<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":551,"featured_media":2191724,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Giannis_Antetokounmpo_51915153421-e1709325350295.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2191723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Giannis_Antetokounmpo_51915153421-e1709325350295.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2191723","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/551"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2191723"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2191723\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2191724"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2191723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2191723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2191723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}