IN PHOTOS: Giannis Antetokounmpo shares images of his first trip to hometown in Nigeria
Giannis Antetokounmpo recently shared the images of his trip to his hometown in Nigeria as part of a documentary about his life. The Milwaukee Bucks superstar, of Greek-Nigerian descent, had his first trip to Nigeria last year.
The recently released WhatsApp-produced documentary titled "Ugo: A Homecoming Story" delves into Antetokounmpo's first visit to Nigeria.
Directed by Rick Famuyiwa, known for his work on "The Mandalorian," the documentary captures the "Greek Freak’s" journey through various locations in Nigeria, providing viewers with a glimpse into the nation's distinctive and rich culture.
In 1991, Giannis Antetokounmpo's parents, Charles and Veronica Antetokounmpo, departed Nigeria for Athens, Greece. Three years later, Giannis was born.
Giannis recently shared pictures from his trip to Nigeria, featuring moments with his mother.
See some of the photos below.
Even though he had never been in Nigeria until the trip, Antetokounmpo has consistently expressed his deep affection for the country. He considers both Nigeria and Greece as the nations he proudly represents.
In 2022, he said people should understand that he is of Nigerian descent despite his "Greek Freak" nickname.
"People don't call me the Nigerian Freak, they only call me the Greek Freak," he said (h/t BasketNews). "This is a time for people to understand that I'm both. I'm not just Greek, I'm Nigerian."
During his visit to Nigeria, Antetokounmpo, whose parents are of Igbo and Yoruba descent, also inaugurated a new learning center in Lagos with the objective of enhancing Igbo literacy among youth.
The Bucks star said he was unable to learn Igbo and Yoruba growing up due to a disagreement between his parents regarding who should teach the children their respective dialects.
“You know, growing up, like we always said Yoruba because my dad was proud. But my mom is from Igbo," he said. “She tried to teach us a lot of things about where she was from and her culture."
Nigerian chef Hilda Baci shares moment with Giannis Antetokounmpo
Nigerian chef Hilda Baci excitedly shared on her Instagram that she had the opportunity to prepare a "Nigerian feast" for Giannis Antetokounmpo and his family.
"Hosted [Giannis] and his beautiful mother and other officials to what I’ll call a Nigerian feast and it was such a wonderful experience for everyone 😊 making great meals is in ma DNA," Baci wrote.
Outside of being a chef, Baci is a restaurateur, actress and the former Guinness World Record holder for marathon cooking, achieving an impressive feat of 93 hours and 11 minutes in May 2023.