Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP
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- Create Date：2021-08-13 06:19:10
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Mirin Fader
- ISBN：0306924110
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Summary
The story of Giannis Antetokounmpo's extraordinary rise from poverty in Athens， Greece to super-stardom 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， touching on universal themes of family， immigration， hard work， wealth， loss， and dreaming big。
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， and 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 side of the street with his family to the racism he experienced in Greece。 Antetokounmpo grew up in an era when Golden Dawn， Greek's far-right， anti-immigrant party， patrolled his neighborhood， and his status as an illegal immigrant largely prevented him from playing for Greek's top clubs， making his rise to the NBA 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 the globe has embraced him， watching him grow up and lead the underdog Bucks to the NBA Championship in 2021。 Giannis reveals a more nuanced story: how hesitant Antetokounmpo was， and still is， to spend money; how lonely and isolated he felt， adjusting to America and the NBA early in his career; the way he changed after his father recently died of a heart attack; the complexity of grappling with his Black and Greek identities; how private he is， so hard on himself and his shortcomings， a drive that fuels him every day; and the deep-rooted responsibility he feels to be a nurturing role model for his younger brothers。 Fader illustrates a more vulnerable star than people know， a person who has evolved triumphantly into all of his roles: as father， brother， son， teammate， and global icon。 Giannis gives readers a front-row seat as Antetokounmpo strives for an elusive championship with the Bucks， quelling speculation about potentially leaving Milwaukee after signing a five-year supermax contract extension worth $228 million。 Now， he contends with his next big hurdle: proving that committing to a small-market franchise can bring Milwaukee back to glory。
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， and 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 side of the street with his family to the racism he experienced in Greece。 Antetokounmpo grew up in an era when Golden Dawn， Greek's far-right， anti-immigrant party， patrolled his neighborhood， and his status as an illegal immigrant largely prevented him from playing for Greek's top clubs， making his rise to the NBA 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 the globe has embraced him， watching him grow up and lead the underdog Bucks to the NBA Championship in 2021。 Giannis reveals a more nuanced story: how hesitant Antetokounmpo was， and still is， to spend money; how lonely and isolated he felt， adjusting to America and the NBA early in his career; the way he changed after his father recently died of a heart attack; the complexity of grappling with his Black and Greek identities; how private he is， so hard on himself and his shortcomings， a drive that fuels him every day; and the deep-rooted responsibility he feels to be a nurturing role model for his younger brothers。 Fader illustrates a more vulnerable star than people know， a person who has evolved triumphantly into all of his roles: as father， brother， son， teammate， and global icon。 Giannis gives readers a front-row seat as Antetokounmpo strives for an elusive championship with the Bucks， quelling speculation about potentially leaving Milwaukee after signing a five-year supermax contract extension worth $228 million。 Now， he contends with his next big hurdle: proving that committing to a small-market franchise can bring Milwaukee back to glory。
Reviews
Adam
，
This book is so much more than a basketball story; it's a human-interest story that uses basketball as a backdrop to tell a fascinating story of growth。 It touches on statelessness， identity， personal development， heartbreak， happiness， and so much more without ever losing sight of the overarching themes， and it contains one fascinating and memorable anecdote after another。 It's beyond obvious that Mirin Fader conducted one interview after another， always searching for that one extra detail that This book is so much more than a basketball story; it's a human-interest story that uses basketball as a backdrop to tell a fascinating story of growth。 It touches on statelessness， identity， personal development， heartbreak， happiness， and so much more without ever losing sight of the overarching themes， and it contains one fascinating and memorable anecdote after another。 It's beyond obvious that Mirin Fader conducted one interview after another， always searching for that one extra detail that can bring the already fully alive story to life even more fully。 。。。more
Brandice
，
Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP was an excellent， in depth look at one of basketball’s rising leaders。 Mirin Fader conducted 221 interviews in the process of writing this book。 It’s thorough， covering Giannis’s childhood in Greece where he grew up loving soccer and eventually came around to basketball， the bond he and his brothers share， the struggles his family faced — being evicted from their home and not knowing where their next meal would come from， the unfortunate prevalence of r Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP was an excellent， in depth look at one of basketball’s rising leaders。 Mirin Fader conducted 221 interviews in the process of writing this book。 It’s thorough， covering Giannis’s childhood in Greece where he grew up loving soccer and eventually came around to basketball， the bond he and his brothers share， the struggles his family faced — being evicted from their home and not knowing where their next meal would come from， the unfortunate prevalence of racism that still remains in Greece today， Giannis’s pursuit of basketball — a slow and steady one compared to many other NBA players today， and his arrival in the league and in America， as he attempted to adjust to the vast contrast in culture and life here， followed by his rise in the league。 I truly can’t fathom hunger at the level of pain and exhaustion the Antetokounmpo family experienced。 It can be easy to judge athletes from afar， but they’re people first and so many have come from such humble beginnings。 I’m not a Bucks fan， but can’t help rooting for Giannis — He is a dedicated student of the game， committed to his craft， polite to all， grateful， devoted to family， has incredible athletic prowess， and is funny。 While this book was finished slightly before the 2021 Finals， the Bucks winning the championship this year only further solidified Giannis’s place as a worthy opponent。 His story is an inspiring one。 Thank you to Hachette Books and NetGalley for providing a copy of Giannis in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Mike Thomas
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The big takeaways from this are that nobody in their right mind would want Mike Bud to be their basketball coach and no one in their right mind would want Jason Kidd allowed around people ever。
Perry
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The meteoric rise of a gangly draft flyer into a franchise player， now champion， and the greatest Milwaukee Buck。 His humble beginnings are examined （as well as racial issues in Greece） and provide a sense of the player he has become。 The book leans a bit too much on interviews with Alex， his youngest brother。 I also would have liked an inside perspective on his decision to remain with the Bucks， but it doesn't feel like the author had inside access。 A well-rounded biography of an amazing basket The meteoric rise of a gangly draft flyer into a franchise player， now champion， and the greatest Milwaukee Buck。 His humble beginnings are examined （as well as racial issues in Greece） and provide a sense of the player he has become。 The book leans a bit too much on interviews with Alex， his youngest brother。 I also would have liked an inside perspective on his decision to remain with the Bucks， but it doesn't feel like the author had inside access。 A well-rounded biography of an amazing basketball player。 。。。more
Mary B。
，
I'd like to start by stating that I'm a huge Giannis fan， so I was happy to take a deep dive into the life of this talented， determined， humble and lovable young man。 （As you can see， I''m not at all biased。） Marin Fader's book chronicles Giannis's struggle to survive poverty and racism in Greece and his indefatigable determination to "make it" through hard work and grit。 What makes the book so good？ Fader creates a structure that considers a number of factors （eg。， social。 political， economic） I'd like to start by stating that I'm a huge Giannis fan， so I was happy to take a deep dive into the life of this talented， determined， humble and lovable young man。 （As you can see， I''m not at all biased。） Marin Fader's book chronicles Giannis's struggle to survive poverty and racism in Greece and his indefatigable determination to "make it" through hard work and grit。 What makes the book so good？ Fader creates a structure that considers a number of factors （eg。， social。 political， economic） that have shaped Giannis's personal and professional paths。 Best of all， the book takes us beyond the headlines with amusing， inspiring and poignant anecdotes， as well as quotes from Giannis and his family， friends， coaches and colleagues。 （Wait till you read the story about the Oreos。） We see Giannis grow in his craft and become a superstar， while remaining true to himself and keeping family close。 One might see this book as a bit of a love letter to Giannis， but I'm okay with that （see first sentence）。 One other note: I thought the writing was a bit clunky in the first few chapters （repetitive word choice， awkward sentence structure） but things improved as the book progressed。 If you love the Greek Freak， be sure to pick up this book！ 。。。more
Kristina Chamberlain
，
I have been a HUGE fan of Giannis for many years now， so I was extremely thrilled to receive an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher。 In addition to being one of the best basketball players in the world， he has always seemed like such a great human being - everything in the media showed him as a happy， kind person who always had time for people， no matter how seemingly unimportant。Reading this book was very eye opening， as Giannis has always been somewhat private about his I have been a HUGE fan of Giannis for many years now， so I was extremely thrilled to receive an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher。 In addition to being one of the best basketball players in the world， he has always seemed like such a great human being - everything in the media showed him as a happy， kind person who always had time for people， no matter how seemingly unimportant。Reading this book was very eye opening， as Giannis has always been somewhat private about his life off of the court。 Learning about the family's struggles to survive in a Greece that did not want them until they could potentially do something for them was heartbreaking， but their overall optimism and love for each other was also just so wonderful to read。 This was a wonderful book。 The author did a fantastic job of telling Giannis's story， with interviews from not just his brothers but also people from Greece who grew up with him and introduced him to the game of basketball。 His hard work and dedication to being the best he can be is admirable， but his greatness as a person is sometimes something that is overlooked--and it shouldn't be。 Giannis is truly a great role model， and their finally winning the NBA championship this year is an excellent "epilogue" to this book。 I hope many people read this book to learn more about such a wonderful person！ 。。。more
Stefan Fergus
，
Excellent。 A wide-ranging memoir of the newly-crown NBA champion。 A book about family， determination， belonging。 And， of course， basketball。 But really， it’s about a family — not just Giannis， but his whole family — and the incredible， improbable circumstances that fell into place to make him the MVP。
Ari Smith
，
I read this book as a NetGalley ARC。As a direct result of reading， "Giannis" by Mirin Fader， Giannis Antetokounmpo has a new fan。Growing up in Greece with two undocumented， refugee parents and three brothers delt Giannis a hard lot in life。 "Fate can start you at the bottom。 Dreams can take you to the top。" Giannis' never stop believing， never stop working， mentality and the drive and support of his family， got him drafted to the NBA。 Then， as you read， the real work began。The biggest take away I read this book as a NetGalley ARC。As a direct result of reading， "Giannis" by Mirin Fader， Giannis Antetokounmpo has a new fan。Growing up in Greece with two undocumented， refugee parents and three brothers delt Giannis a hard lot in life。 "Fate can start you at the bottom。 Dreams can take you to the top。" Giannis' never stop believing， never stop working， mentality and the drive and support of his family， got him drafted to the NBA。 Then， as you read， the real work began。The biggest take away I got from this book is， you will not be tomorrow where you are today。 If you have a goal， take steps toward it every day。 Giannis took opportunities to learn and develop。 He took notes。 He asked questions。 He was not afraid to learn from others。 He looked toward coaches and mentors for guidance and support。 And then， he worked。 He worked longer and harder than anyone else on his team， because that is the level of dedication it takes to be the best。This book had me searching on Google and watching basketball highlights of Giannis and Baby Shaq。 It was refreshing to read Fader's descriptions of Giannis playing and then to watch youtube videos of exactly what the book described。 I learned so much more than just about Giannis。 It seems fitting to include in a book about Giannis Antetokounmpo some relevant and timely historical anecdotes of Greece （the country He loves）， history of the Milwakee Bucks （his team） and the members if Giannis' family （that he loves so much）。The question I ask myself is， would I read this book again？ Yes！ The story of Giannis Antetokounmpo is inspiring and helps me feel entirely grateful for my life experiences。 。。。more
Natalie White
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Giannis Antetokounmpo has followed a true "hero's journey。" From a humble beginning in Greece， he willed himself- and his brothers， to find success on the basketball court。 Author Mirin Fader has thoroughly researched every aspect of what has made Giannis， Giannis。 Through interviews with former coaches， teammates， and family friends， Fader has woven together the story of the complex tapestry of Giannis' identity。An inspirational biography and compelling text， this book is a must-read for fellow Giannis Antetokounmpo has followed a true "hero's journey。" From a humble beginning in Greece， he willed himself- and his brothers， to find success on the basketball court。 Author Mirin Fader has thoroughly researched every aspect of what has made Giannis， Giannis。 Through interviews with former coaches， teammates， and family friends， Fader has woven together the story of the complex tapestry of Giannis' identity。An inspirational biography and compelling text， this book is a must-read for fellow Milwaukee Bucks fans， student-athletes， coaches， and anyone else looking to be motivated to become the best version of him or herself！**I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher， through Netgalley， in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Living My Best Book Life
，
Giannis is an inspirational book about one of the NBA's most dominant athletes， Giannis Antetokounmpo， and his rise to NBA royalty。 I think this is going to be a staple read for basketball fans。I love watching basketball and have since I was a young girl watching games with my dad。 Giannis is one of my favorite players to watch because he is so dominant on the court and always gives his all。 So， I was excited to finally get to know more about Giannis as a person。The book starts out with an intro Giannis is an inspirational book about one of the NBA's most dominant athletes， Giannis Antetokounmpo， and his rise to NBA royalty。 I think this is going to be a staple read for basketball fans。I love watching basketball and have since I was a young girl watching games with my dad。 Giannis is one of my favorite players to watch because he is so dominant on the court and always gives his all。 So， I was excited to finally get to know more about Giannis as a person。The book starts out with an introduction to his childhood in Greece。 His story is more than just rags to riches it's about striving for greatness even when everyone and everything seems like they are against you。 We quickly learn how much family means to him。 When he was young， he had to find jobs wherever he could because he wanted to help his family financially。 His family faced struggles and once he found the sport of basketball he knew he would do whatever he could to make it to the NBA and change his and his family's life。When Giannis got older and started to take basketball more seriously， he still wasn't on scouts or teams' radars。 He was a lanky， uncoordinated kid who loved the game but nothing screamed superstar to anyone。。。anyone except his family。 His parents and his brothers always believed he could be one of the greats。 Giannis is so grateful for their support and that pushed him。 He worked hard， stayed in the gym longer， and did whatever he could to make sure he was putting himself in the best position to succeed。 But like I said before most people weren't rooting for him。 As many of us know， Giannis grew up in Greece so you would assume that the people of Greece would be rooting for a local athlete。 Sadly that was not the case。 Unfortunately， because of the color of his skin， he faced racism on a daily basis。 Why you may ask？ Well according to some he couldn't possibly be black and from Greece。 I have to applaud Giannis because he took the high road never putting down the people of Greece and keeping quiet about the unfortunate racism he faced。 That's why it was such a wonderful feeling of accomplishment when he made it to the NBA and signed with the Milwaukee Bucks。 He felt like he did it and could take care of his family。 But he still would face many ups and downs。 So many wondered if he could produce and be effective but he never doubted himself。 Every time someone thought he wasn't good enough he strived to prove them wrong。 I enjoyed this story and loved reading interviews about his humor and his positive attitude。 He is so humble and never wants to forget where he came from。 Just because he is making millions doesn't mean that he spends it all in one place。 He is very smart with his money and I think that's because of his struggles。 And because of those struggles， he doesn't want to lose what he has so that motivates him every day。I give Giannis 5 stars。 It's such a powerful story about a young boy from Greece having a dream and making it a reality with hard work， determination， and the support of family。 His story is an inspiration and shows people that fame doesn't always have to change a person。 I look forward to the day when Giannis is holding up the NBA Championship trophy。 。。。more
Jennifer
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