ICYMI: Giannis Antetokounmpo seen flaunting his Nigerian roots at the All-Star Game by rocking a custom-made hoodie in partnership with WhatsApp
With the 2022 All-Star Game being one of the most highly anticipated sporting events, Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo joined other All-Stars as they showed off their best outfits upon arrival.
The Greek superstar rocked a simple outfit combo. However, the threads themselves were woven with symbolism.
Giannis Antetokounmpo wore a custom hoodie representing his home country of Nigeria in partnership with mobile messaging app WhatsApp as he became their first global ambassador.
. From “Adetokunbo” to +234, every detail was woven with intention by @postimperialism. Shoutout @WhatsApp for making this hoodie happen. #WhatsAppPartner
I got to rep my Nigerian heritage with pride yesterday 😁. From “Adetokunbo” to +234, every detail was woven with intention by @postimperialism. Shoutout @WhatsApp for making this hoodie happen. #WhatsAppPartner https://t.co/z1esM7Yy4b
Representing his Nigerian roots on the biggest stage, Antetokounmpo finds himself at the forefront of a sporting revolution alongside his fellow Nigerian athletes.
Laced with motifs representing a post-imperialistic Nigeria, the hoodie also featured "Adetokunbo" and "+234". The "+234" is representative of the Nigerian country code. However, "Adentokunbo" has a lot more significance.
"Adetokunbo" is a surname or a given name found in Yoruba, a common language in Nigeria. Often translated as "the king from across the seas" or "royalty from a foreign land", Giannis Antetokounmpo appears to be a fitting descendant of the family as he establishes himself as one of the best in the league.
Giannis Antetokounmpo features among the ranks of the greatest
With the NBA celebrating it's 75th anniversary, a special event saw the league release an updated list of the 75 greatest players to ever play in the NBA. In a ceremony that honored these 75 players, Giannis Antetokounmpo found himself among some of the greatest to ever do it.
2x League MVP
6x All-Star
NBA Champ
Giannis Antetokounmpo
@Giannis_An34 x #NBA75 https://t.co/6IZq26fWYF
This is a huge achievement for any player. Being rated as one of the greatest is no simple feat. Featuring the likes of legends such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant, the list also saw future hall-of-famers such as LeBron James and Steph Curry.
In that regard, the Greek Freak being on the list while still being relatively young in his career is a testament to his greatness. Additionally, the Bucks forward, along with Hakeem Olajuwon, are the only Nigerian-born players mentioned in the list.
All things considered, what Antetokounmpo is doing for his home country is nothing short of special. While also playing a pinnacle role as a representative of Greece, he has been a great ambassador for both nations.
Coming off the All-Star break, the Greek Freak returns to action with the Milwaukee Bucks against the Brooklyn Nets on February 26th.
Antetokounmpo has had another phenomenal season. In a tight battle to become the league's leading scorer, he also finds himself as the leader in the race for the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Registering averages of 29.4 points and 11.2 rebounds per game, the Bucks superstar only expanded upon his impressive performance by recording a PER of 32.36, second only to Nikola Jokic.
45+ point games on 75%+ FG% in the last 10 years:
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 3
Rest of the NBA combined: 3 https://t.co/7qhBnPz7h4
With Milwaukee currently in a three-way tie for third place and only 2.5 games behind the number one seeded Miami Heat, the reigning champions have a good chance of taking the top spot in the conference behind the performance of their superstar.