Long before Giannis Antetokounmpo became a two-time MVP and NBA champion, he was just a young kid in Greece, grinding to help his family make ends meet. Born and raised in Athens to Nigerian parents, Giannis had to fight his way up to where he is today. But even when he had nothing and was struggling to make a name for himself, Giannis had the unwavering support of his father.
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Today, Giannis is a wealthy man. It is estimated that the ‘Greek Freak’ has made nearly $283 million just from his contracts in the NBA so far. His first contract with the Bucks was in 2013, which was a rookie one worth $8.6 million until 2017. From then, there was no looking back for him.
Bucks went on to sign a contract worth $100 million for the next 4 seasons. Currently, Giannis is on a contract worth $62 million per year which began in 2023.
He has also purchased villas in Costa Navarino, acquired a share in the Village Shopping & More Center in Athens worth $16 million, and reportedly purchased the Semeli Estate winery worth $5.7 million.
However, Giannis is different from his father in his approach towards wealth creation. He talked about his humble beginnings during a conversation with Hasan Minhaj on The Daily Show in 2023. The NBA superstar didn’t come from money, but his father, Charles, considered himself a very wealthy man because of his sons. Even though the Antetokounmpos lived in poverty-ridden, difficult circumstances, his father didn’t let it affect him.
Giannis said, “He had no money, he was poor. He came from Nigeria to have a better life, and we were his legacy. I could feel, like, growing up, he was the richest person in the neighborhood. He always felt rich because he had us.”
Charles never needed material wealth to feel successful. Instead, he viewed his children as his true legacy. And when he passed away, Giannis found a great way to honor his father, which also celebrated his legacy. He started the Charles Antetokounmpo Family Foundation to become a helping hand in the community and give hope to people who need it the most.
As for his personal loss, Giannis mourned for his father in the most unexpected way imaginable.
How Giannis Antetokounmpo dealt with the loss of his father
Giannis is very close to every member of his family. But he had a special bond with his father. Since a very young age, he understood the sacrifices his father made to ensure that Giannis and his brothers lived a good life. So, when Charles passed away, it shook Giannis. However, he wasn’t going to let the tragedy affect his vision for his future. After all, he was doing it for his father.
Upon receiving the heartbreaking news of his father’s death, Giannis, only 23 at the time, went straight to the gym. He felt like it was the best way to deal with the unimaginable loss. During an interview with GQ, Giannis revealed why he made that call.
“I went to the gym. He was there with me… I try to not feel pain, because I feel like whenever my parents felt pain, they never showed it.”
His years of hard work and dedication have paid off. Giannis isn’t just one of the best players in the league, but he is also a role model for future generations and has made a lot of money doing what he loves.
