The official Nigerian men’s national team sends message to Gianni’s antetokounmpo on contract with..
The official Nigerian men’s national team Twitter account brought up the memories of how one of the best basketball players in the world, Giannis Antetokounmpo, was close to appearing in different national team colors.
2021 NBA champion and the finals MVP once considered requesting a Nigerian passport.
The official Nigerian men’s national team sends message to Gianni’s antetokounmpo on contract with..
When his status and future were in limbo, some people were even looking for an opportunity to get him Spanish citizenship.
How was one of the best international players in the NBA almost on his way to becoming eligible for Nigerian or Spanish national teams but ended up representing Greece?
Mirin Fader explained these scenarios in her book “Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP.”
Antetokounmpo was born in Athens in 1994. His parents were of Nigerian descent and illegally moved from Lagos to Greece in 1991.
Although Giannis and his three siblings were born in Greece, none of them qualified for a Greek passport.
Giannis officially remained stateless until turning 19.
READ MORE:Stars are aligning as Giannis Antetokounmpo clears the air on intention to join…
That prohibited him from playing abroad and representing Greek clubs as a local player. It also closed all doors for him to show his skills to NBA people in the camps outside Greece.
It even jeopardized his NBA future when only a few thought he might become an NBA player.
When the word about the Greek mystery started to spread before the 2013 NBA draft, Giannis couldn’t even apply for a US visa to participate in the draft.
The official Nigerian men’s national team sends message to Gianni’s antetokounmpo on contract with..
The official Nigerian men’s national team Twitter account brought up the memories of how one of the best basketball players in the world, Giannis Antetokounmpo, was close to appearing in different national team colors.
2021 NBA champion and the finals MVP once considered requesting a Nigerian passport.
The official Nigerian men’s national team sends message to Gianni’s antetokounmpo on contract with..
When his status and future were in limbo, some people were even looking for an opportunity to get him Spanish citizenship.
How was one of the best international players in the NBA almost on his way to becoming eligible for Nigerian or Spanish national teams but ended up representing Greece?
Mirin Fader explained these scenarios in her book “Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP.”
Antetokounmpo was born in Athens in 1994. His parents were of Nigerian descent and illegally moved from Lagos to Greece in 1991.
Although Giannis and his three siblings were born in Greece, none of them qualified for a Greek passport.
Giannis officially remained stateless until turning 19.
READ MORE:Stars are aligning as Giannis Antetokounmpo clears the air on intention to join…
That prohibited him from playing abroad and representing Greek clubs as a local player. It also closed all doors for him to show his skills to NBA people in the camps outside Greece.
It even jeopardized his NBA future when only a few thought he might become an NBA player.
When the word about the Greek mystery started to spread before the 2013 NBA draft, Giannis couldn’t even apply for a US visa to participate in the draft.
