If there’s one word that describes the story of the Antetokounmpo family, it’s impossible. When you watch “Rise” — the Disney+ movie based on Giannis’ life — it puts “impossible” into context.
His parents, Charles and Veronica, left Lagos in 1991 in search of a better life. They immigrated to Athens, Greece. They only brought their son, Thanasis, with them. They left his newborn brother, Francis, behind with his grandparents because of the grueling journey they were about to face.
Eventually, they started a family. Giannis, Kostas and Alex were born. And, as a family, they made a living. Charles worked odd jobs left and right trying to work his way up to becoming a documented Greek citizen despite being denied at every turn. Meanwhile, Veronica and the boys sold trinkets, glasses and watches to tourists all day on the streets just to try and get by.
