Giannis Antetokounmpo’s rise as a teenager from Greece to arriving in the United States to become one of the biggest superstars in the NBA has given us countless memorable stories. And this latest one might be one of the funniest.
Speaking with former Milwaukee Bucks broadcaster Jim Paschke, Giannis looked back at his first days in Milwaukee after being selected with the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. Everything around him was completely new, from staying in a luxury hotel to riding in a limousine. He even admitted he had no idea what a per diem was.
“They had this limousine waiting in front of The Pfister, and I’d never seen a limousine before. They told me, ‘This is your car service. You can use it to get around Milwaukee.'”
“So I went into The Pfister and asked, ‘Can I order food?’ They gave me my per diem, but I didn’t know what a per diem was. I asked, ‘Oh, this is my money?’ They said, ‘Yes, it’s your money.’ So I put it in my pocket. Then I asked, ‘Can I order room service?’ They said, ‘Yes, you can order room service.'”
“What they meant was I could use my per diem to pay for it, but I didn’t understand that. So I went back to my room and ordered everything. I wanted ice cream. I wanted pizza. I wanted chicken wings. I wanted everything I couldn’t have as an athlete. I’ll never forget that experience as an 18-year-old, riding in a limousine for the first time. Later, when I picked up my family from Chicago, I brought them back in a little minibus.”
“Then I called my agent and said, ‘Can you get me a limousine?’ He asked, ‘Why do you want a limousine?’ I said, ‘Because I want my family to have the same experience I had.’ So I got them a limousine. The funny thing was, I didn’t even know where to take them. I asked my mom, ‘What do you want to do?’ She said, ‘Let’s go buy groceries for the house.’ So we took a limousine to Walmart.”
Most people would probably take a limousine to a fancy restaurant, a luxury shopping district, or a major tourist attraction. But Giannis’ family simply wanted groceries. Their priorities had not changed despite finding themselves surrounded by NBA luxury.
Stories like these show why Giannis has remained one of the league’s most relatable and lovable superstars. Despite making hundreds of millions of dollars and becoming a two-time MVP, he has never hidden where he came from or how stunning his early experiences were.
His childhood in Greece was very different from the lifestyle that awaited him in the NBA. Every new experience was something that he had never imagined while growing up.
And it’s also a reminder of how far he has come.
The teenager who didn’t know what a per diem was became an NBA champion, two-time MVP, and a face of the league. Today, Giannis is getting ready for the next part of his life with the Miami Heat. He recently spoke about how he wanted to return to Milwaukee one day in the future.
Even after everything that Giannis has accomplished, some of his best stories have nothing to do with basketball.
