Giannis ANtetokounmpo is one of the best players in the world today, something very few people would have predicted 10 years ago when he was playing in Greece and preparing to enter the 2013 NBA Draft. He was an unknown prospect that was discovered late and drafted as a high-risk pick by the Milwaukee Bucks as the first pick outside the lottery (15).
Being a first-round draft pick in the NBA is a massive accomplishment, especially for Giannis, who was playing in the Greek second division a year prior to having his name called. He also came from abject poverty and making it to the NBA meant he could finally start providing a better life for his brothers and parents.
The Bucks believing in Giannis and selecting him made him bond with the franchise and stay on even when he could have entered free agency despite all the turmoil that preceded the 2021 Championship win. Watching the scene of him getting drafted in his new Disney+ movie ‘Rise’ made Giannis extremely emotional.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is in tears watching the moment he was drafted by the Bucks! pic.twitter.com/NtxXjRIm4P
— Harris Stavrou (@harris_stavrou) June 28, 2022
Giannis is not even recognizable today compared to how he looked entering the NBA. He was a fraction of the size he is today and was actually expected to be a better shooter than he is. He put his focus into building his body into the size of an NBA power forward. Somewhere along the way, he crossed the body type of an NBA player and is now one of the most dominant players in the entire league.
The story of Giannis is one of endless hard work and determination. While that may sound like a cliche, it is exactly how Giannis got to the position he is in today. He was born poor in a foreign country and has now won every major accolade he can in the NBA by the age of 26.
The reason Giannis has a movie on Disney+ is because even they can’t write stories better than his real-life story.
