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The story of Giannis Antetokounmpo's extraordinary rise from poverty in Athens, Greece, to superstardom in America with the Milwaukee Bucks--becoming one of the most transcendent players in history and an NBA Champion--from award-winning basketball reporter and feature writer at The Ringer Mirin Fader. Now in paperback with a new Epilogue.
As the face of the NBA's new world order, Giannis Antetokounmpo has overcome unfathomable obstacles to become a symbol of hope for people all over the world; the personification of the American Dream. But his backstory remains largely untold. Fader unearths new information about the childhood that shaped "The Greek Freak"--from sleeping side by side with his brothers to selling trinkets on the street with his family to the racism he experienced. Antetokounmpo grew up in an era when Golden Dawn, Greece's far-right, anti-immigrant party, patrolled his neighborhood, and his status as an illegal immigrant largely prevented him from playing for the country's top clubs, making his NBA rise all the more improbable. Fader tells a deeply human story of how an unknown, skinny, Black Greek teen, who played in the country's lowest pro division and was seen as a draft gamble, transformed his body and his game into MVP material.
Antetokounmpo's story has been framed as a feel-good narrative in which everyone has embraced him--watching him grow up, sign a five-year supermax contract extension worth $228 million, and lead the underdog Bucks to the NBA Championship in 2021. Giannis reveals a more nuanced story: how lonely and isolated he felt, adjusting to America and the NBA early in his career; the complexity of grappling with his Black and Greek identities; how he is so hard on himself and his shortcomings--a drive that fuels him every day; and the responsibility he feels to be a nurturing role model for his younger brothers. Fader illustrates a more vulnerable star than most people know, a person who has evolved triumphantly into all of his roles: father, brother, son, teammate, and global icon.
**Instant New York Times Bestseller, Los Angeles Times Bestseller, Wall Street Journal Bestseller, USA Today Bestseller, Publishers Weekly Bestseller**
**Mirin Fader Selected as the 2021 Sports Media Author of the Year by The Big Lead**
**The Sports Librarian's Best of 2022 - Sports Books**
Beyond the RK is a basketball blogger and data analyst.
“Giannis” is a beautifully written, all-time great book about hope, perseverance, and family. An instant classic page-turner with countless stories on the Adetokunbo family’s incredible journey. Few writers can humanize the athlete as well as Mirin Fader.
Flea is a founding member and bassist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Mirin Fader’s bio of Giannis! It’s beautiful. @MirinFader as dynamic a chronicle of human spirit as anything I’ve ever read https://t.co/dEYDOaj1xI
Sports writer. Storyteller. Senior staff writer @Ringer. NYT best-selling author of Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA Champion https://t.co/Nc3veawppx
Thank you so much for reading my work this year, and for buying my “Giannis” book. Becoming an author was a life-long dream, and I’m so grateful to you for helping me achieve that dream 💜 https://www.amazon.com/Giannis-Improbable-Rise-NBA-MVP/dp/0306924129/ref=sr_1_2?crid=Z5124MIR87X0&keywords=giannis+the+improbable+rise+of+an+nba+mvp&qid=1640197333&s=books&sprefix=giannis%2Cstripbooks%2C152&sr=1-2 & here are stories I wrote this year @ringer I’m most proud of: