Who is The Greek Freak? Listen to podcasts about Giannis Antetokounmpo

Welcome to my history lesson on “The Greek Freak”! Newly minted NBA Champion and Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has been drawing comparisons to the likes of NBA legends Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabaar and LeBron James for a couple of years now. The 6’11 power forward for the Milwaukee Bucks promised the city that he would get them a ring, and he did just that on July 20th. After dropping the first two games of the Finals series, the Bucks beat the Phoenix Suns 4-2 in a 105-98 victory to clinch their first championship in half a century.

Antetokounmpo’s story starts long before the pandemic-afflicted 2021 season. Born in Athens, Greece (ha, Greek Freak, get it?) he is the son of Nigerian immigrants. Antetokounmpo and older brother Thanasis, who coincidentally also plays for the Bucks, sold watches, handbags and sunglasses on the streets of the city. He was stateless until two months before the 2013 NBA Draft, as he had no papers from Greece nor Nigeria.

The Milwaukee Bucks picked him 15th overall in the draft, seeing his potential to become a star. Now, he and his two brothers all have a Finals ring (Kostas Antetokounmpo played for the 2020 NBA Finals Champions LA Lakers).

Whether you’ve been watching Giannis grow (literally, he’s grown two inches and put on over 50 pounds since he was drafted) or you’re just hearing about him now, check out these podcasts about Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Woj Pod: The Giannis Draft Series

After the Bucks Game 6 win, “The Woj Pod” re-aired ESPN’s The Giannis Draft. The three-part series follows the 2013 NBA Draft, where Antetokounmpo would be picked 15th overall. Not bad for an 18 year-old who had only been playing for six years. While most scouts overlooked him, seeing only a bundle of gangly arms and legs, Giannis knew that this was an opportunity for his family that he could not pass up. Follow his journey from Athens to the NBA on “The Woj Pod”.

Keyshawn, JWill & Zubin: The Evolution of Giannis

After Giannis and the Bucks defeated the new Brooklyn Nets super-team in the Conference Semifinals, “Keyshawn, JWill & Zubin” talked about just how far Giannis and his team have come. In Giannis’ rookie season in 2013-2014, the Bucks finished last in the league with a miserable record of 15-67. From the worst team in the NBA to the very top of the league, how did the Bucks do it?

The Lead: Giannis and the Bucks Rewrite Their Story

The road to the top is never easy. Despite the Bucks putting together incredible regular season records the past two years, they kept coming up short in the Playoffs. The question remained: could the Bucks and their superstar reach the pinnacle of the sport? The Athletic’s Eric Nehm has been covering Antetokounmpo his entire career and he tells us how the power forward finally changed his fate.

Locked on Bucks: Discussing a legendary playoff performance physically and mentally from Giannis

If you ever want to listen to podcasts about Giannis Antetokounmpo, “Locked on Bucks” is definitely your best bet. Obviously, they love their superstar, and they love even more that he will be in Milwaukee for at least four more years; he signed the largest contract in NBA history last year – 5-years, $228 million. Hosts Frank and Kane talk about everything Giannis in this episode, both on the court and off. There’s never enough time to talk about the Finals MVP.

Locked on Mavericks: How Milwaukee Built a Champion & Jason Kidd Developed Giannis Antetokounmpo

I guess the Mavericks are claiming some of Antetokounmpo’s success as well. Giannis was coached under Dallas Mavericks legend Jason Kidd for four seasons from 2014-2018. Kidd is credited with helping develop Giannis into a 5 time All-Star and 2 time MVP. The Milwaukee Bucks put a lot of faith in Giannis when they drafted him years ago, and he is proof that hard work pays off.