Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has made hundreds of millions of dollars over the course of his NBA career, but he still remains somewhat of a cheapskate. Antetokounmpo is not the type to splurge, and he told Complex’s Joe La Puma a hilarious story about when he hurried out of a sneaker store after finding out how much the Dior x Air Jordan 1s cost.
“I was in a sneaker store [in] 2024,” Antetokounmpo said. “So I think I was in New York, and I was just walking around with my wife and my kid, and I saw this store with a lot of sneakers. So, I walked in, and I always wanted to get… the Diors. So I walked in there, and I was like, ‘Hmm, I want those!’ And the guy was like, ‘Ah, we have size 16 and 17.’ I was like, ‘It will work.’
“So he brought it down, and he gave them to me,” Antetokounmpo added. “I was like, ‘How much is this?’ And he said, ‘$20,000.’ I gave it right back to him. Walked out of the store.”
Antetokounmpo has been a Nike athlete since 2013, which led La Puma to ask him if he made the call to get them.
“No,” Antetokounmpo stated. “I’m not materialistic, man.”
View this post on Instagram
That was a wise decision. Those sneakers, made from calfskin leather, are great, but that’s too much money. You understand why the price is that high, though, as just 13,000 pairs were produced. The low-top model was actually only priced at $2,000, and the high-top at $2,200 when they were released in 2000, but the rarity has led to the price skyrocketing. You’ll have to fork out a pretty penny.
While some NBA players might have still decided to buy the sneakers, Antetokounmpo was never going to. His former Bucks teammate Jrue Holiday once called the two-time MVP the cheapest guy he knows. Antetokounmpo has said that he is cheap when it comes to himself, but not his family.
“Cheap for myself?” Antetokounmpo asked. “Yes. Like, for me, I don’t care. I don’t care for material. But for my family, no. When it comes to my family, I give them more than I give myself.”
That is the right approach. According to Spotrac, Antetokounmpo will have made $338 million in salaries by the end of this 2025-26 season. By the time the 10-time All-Star’s current contract expires in 2028, his career earnings will be $459 million. Not bad for someone who grew up in poverty.
Of course, not coming from money is a big reason why Antetokounmpo is the way he is. The 31-year-old knows its value.
