Giannis Antetokounmpo’s ‘Loving’ Surprise for Then-Girlfriend Mariah Riddlesprigger Led to a Bucks Intern’s ‘Most Nerve-Racking’ Assignment

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s fiancé, Mariah Riddlesprigger, is quite the support system for the Bucks superstar off the court. The couple was engaged last year in September 2023 after announcing the birth of their third child, a daughter named Eva. In 2018, when the couple was still bonding off the court, Giannis wanted to surprise his then-girlfriend with a dog – a golden doodle that Mariah had always wanted. However, getting that breed was difficult in Wisconsin, given only one breeder, about four hours upstate in Stanley, dealt with this breed.

Due to Giannis’s busy schedule with the upcoming NBA games at the time, he had no time to drive upstate and get a dog. Hence, he requested the Milwaukee Bucks management to help him in this case, who assigned a basketball operations intern, Chris Rodriguez, with the assignment. The 2021 book Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP described this moment as the ‘most nerve-racking one’ in the entire two-year tenure of the intern with the Milwaukee Bucks franchise.

Rodriguez left at 10 am on April 9, hoping to pick up the puppy and arrive at the Bucks’ arena by game time. In that way, Giannis could gift the puppy to Mariah as a surprise after the game. Rodriguez had never been upstate and drove four hours to Stanley to arrive at the breeder’s location. However, upon arrival, the intern was upset when the breeder told him the dog was at another location. Unfortunately, trying to find the second place, Rodriguez seemed to have lost directions and had to ask his family and friends to arrive at the correct spot.

The intern realized he did not want to disappoint Giannis by failing to get the dog. After forty minutes of wandering around and driving, Rodriguez finally found the breeder and tucked the puppy inside a box in his car’s backseat. The puppy was extremely hyperactive and trying to squirm out of the box. During that moment, the dog had no control over itself and ended up urinating and defecating inside its box, leaving Rodriguez to drive with a foul smell engulfing his car.

When the intern finally reached the Bucks Arena, he had to cover his nose as the car and the puppy smelled terrible. While handing the puppy to Giannis, the Bucks star was shocked by this smell and exclaimed, “Oh my god, she smells so bad!” However, the intern tried explaining the situation, stating that he had dealt with the smell for around eight and a half hours driving.

Impressed by the intern’s dedication to the assignment, Giannis gifted Rodriguez a pair of Nikes and a handsome tip beyond the measures players can take. Giannis eventually gifted the puppy to his girlfriend Mariah, who melted at the sight of the fluffy little bundle of joy joining their happy family.

In this situation, the dedication of the intern can’t go unappreciated. Yes, he was doing it for Giannis Antetokounmpo, someone that nobody would ever want to disappoint. However, to go through the trials and tribulations that he did just so that Giannis’s family could have their pet of choice is beyond admirable. Admittedly, it is good to hear that he was compensated very well for his efforts by the Bucks superstar himself.

Giannis and Mariah’s dog has her very own Instagram page

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Mariah Riddlesprigger named the little bundle of joy Mila Antetokounmpo. Mila has her own Instagram page as well, named @mila_thepoopydoodle. Mila has around 27,200 followers on Instagram, followed by Giannis and the official Milwaukee Bucks page. Though the account has been inactive since 2020, the page has pictures showing glimpses of Mila with her dad, Giannis, and mom, Mariah.

@giannis_an34I need some rent money Mila♬ original sound – fatimamassen

Giannis is a proud dog parent and never hesitates to show Mila off to his fans on his Instagram and TikTok pages. The Greek Freak often posts videos and pictures of himself petting the lovely dog on his socials, which makes us believe that the Bucks star loves spending time with this golden bundle of joy during his time off the court.