From immigrating to Greece to their four NBA pro sons, here’s what to know about Giannis Antetokounmpo's parents

Giannis Antetokounmpo has always maintained a strong relationship with his family, particularly with his late father, Charles Antetokounmpo, and mother, Veronica Antetokounmpo.

 After growing up in Nigeria, Charles and Veronica (commonly known as Vera) moved to Athens, Greece, in 1991.  Together, they had five kids.  After his parents relocated to Greece, their eldest son, Francis, remained with his grandparents in Lagos, Nigeria, where he was born.  Athens was the birthplace and upbringing of their four younger sons: Thanasis, Giannis, Kostas, and Alex.

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After years of not having citizenship in any nation, Giannis received Greek citizenship in May 2013, just before he was selected in the NBA draft.  when getting their visas, his parents and younger brothers, who were 11 and 14 years old at the time, followed in 2014 when his older brother Thanasis traveled to the United States to play in the NBA's D-League the same year.

 Because of their talent and close-knit community, the Antetokounmpos were included in the 2022 Disney+ movie Rise and Giannis: The Marvelous Journey on Prime Video Sports."I've trusted my kids with everything they're doing since the beginning, hoping that one day everything will work out well. At the same time, I was thinking, 'This is going to take us to a greater place in the future,' while I watched them play, travel the world, win championships, and more," Veronica told Yahoo! Sports.  Then, this is our current situation.  We are very remarkable.

Serious athletes also make up the family: Veronica was a high jumper, the other four brothers were drafted into the NBA, and Charles and Francis played professional soccer.  Known by his nickname, the "Greek Freak," Giannis is regarded as one of the NBA's top power forwards.

 He told The Red Bulletin, "The journey has been unbelievable."  "I didn't believe in my dream as much as my parents did."

 A few years before Giannis won NBA MVP awards in 2019 and 2020 and three of his sons took home NBA titles, Charles passed away from a heart attack in September 2017 at the age of 54.  (Kostas won with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, and Giannis and Thanasis won with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021.)

It's difficult.  Two weeks after his father's passing, Giannis told NBA.com, "It's difficult to lose someone you love."  "Losing a person who has been there from the beginning."  particularly for our family, as we are quite close.

 Veronica is a regular at NBA games and has maintained a tight relationship with her sons.  Giannis stated to TIME in 2017 that "she's been a colleague right next to me."

 Discover all there is to know about the connection between NBA player Giannis Antetokounmpo and his parents, Charles and Veronica Antetokounmpo.

Charles and Veronica have four sons, Francis, Thanasis, Kostas, and Alex, in addition to Giannis. 

All but Francis of the Antetokounmpo boys were selected in the NBA draft. But Francis was a professional soccer player in Greece. Three have also won NBA Championships: Thanasis and Giannis with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, and Kostas with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020. The 2022 Disney+ biopic Rise was inspired by the brothers' remarkable sports endeavors, their distinct rise to fame, and their strong connection. 

"[The film is] about more than just myself. In 2022, Giannis told the New York Post, "It's about the sacrifice my parents made early in life so that we are in the position that we are today."Veronica and Charles are grandparents as well.  Liam Charles and Maverick Shai are Giannis and Mariah Riddlesprigger's two children, and they are expecting a third.  

Veronica described the arrival of her first grandchild in 2020 as a "special gift" to Milwaukee's WISN 12 News.