Source: Religion Unplugged
July 21, 2021
Giannis and his brother Thanasis became Godfathers in 2018. Photo: eurohoops.net
Those who haven’t heard of NBA player Giannis Antetokounmpo before this week will surely hear about the man known as the “Greek Freak” who led his Milwaukee Bucks to an NBA Finals championship win over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.
And while his life story is fascinating, heartwarming and remarkable, the religious life of Giannis is less well known. The now 26-year-old Giannis became a Christian and devout member of the Greek Orthodox Church as a young person and continues to acknowledge his Christian faith.
Antetokounmpo’s family migrated from Nigeria to Greece, where he was born in 1994. He and his four brothers lived in poverty in Athens, sometimes short on food and selling items on the street. Greek basketball coaches, shopkeepers and restaurant owners helped the family over time, cultivating their integration into Greek society and the flourishing of Giannis (a Greek name that translates to English as “John”) and his brothers as basketball players starting in 2007. Christians in Greece also contributed to the spiritual and character formation of Giannis.
A 2019 story in the Greek Reporter explained how Father Evangelos Ghanas, a priest at Agios Meletios Church in the Sepolia section of Athens baptized Giannis and his brother, Alexandros, on Oct. 28, 2012.
... Read the rest at Religion Unplugged.
