Who is Giannis Antetokounmpo? What is NBA star's height, age, net worth, stats and Milwaukee Bucks jersey number

The Milwaukee Bucks have won their first title since 1971 in the NBA, thanks to Greek basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Known as the ‘Greek Freak’, his stature, size, speed and skills at handling the ball are sure to secure him a spot amongst the sport's biggest legends.

So, what are his sporting stats and how does he measure up to sporting greats such as LeBron James and Michael Jordan? This is what you need to know.

Who is Giannis Antetokounmpo?

Born in December 1994, Giannis Sina Ugo Antetokounmpo was born in Athens, Greece.

His parents immigrated to Greece from Nigeria and he and three of his four brothers were born there but were not guaranteed citizenship. As such, Giannis spent the first 18 years of his life stateless and unable to leave the country.

In May 2013, he was confirmed as a Greek citizen and therefore able to enrol in the NBA draft. He has since also obtained Nigerian citizenship.

As a child, he and his older brother would work as vendors on the streets of Athens - selling watches, bags and toys to tourists.

He began playing basketball in 2007 and was first signed to the senior men's team of Filathlitikos in the semi-pro Greek B Basket League for the 2011-2012 season.

Due to his second name being difficult to pronounce, he soon became known as the ‘Greek Freak’, and by 2012 was sought after by Spanish club CAI Zaragoza as well as Barcelona and Efes.

In December 2012, he signed a four year deal with CAI Zaragoza and in his first season

He averaged 9.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.0 blocks per game.

In July 2013, he signed up for the NBA draft and was picked 15th overall, signing as a rookie to the Milwaukee Bucks and made his debut at the age of 18, as one of the youngest players in NBA history.

His Jersey number is 34.

Aside from being a talented sportsman, he is also the father of a one-year-old son, Liam Charles. His girlfriend of around three years, girlfriend Mariah Riddlesprigger, announced in May 2021 that she is pregnant with their second child.

What are his stats?

Standing 2.11 meters tall (6ft 11 inches) and weighing around 109kg (240lbs), the Greek Freak led in his Rookie year and by 2015 was averaging 17 point per game.

In December 2016, he recorded a near triple-double with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 8 assists, helping the Bucks break the Golden State Warriors' 24 game unbeaten record.

At 21 years old, he became the youngest Buck to record a triple-double, in a win against the LA Lakers.

In September 2016, he agreed to a four-year, $100 million contract extension with the Bucks. By December, he had a career-high 39 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a 123–96 win over the Washington Wizards.

In January 2017, he was confirmed as a starter for the Eastern Conference All-Star team for the 2017 NBA All-Star Game.

At 22 years and 74 days old, he became the youngest player in franchise history to start in an All-Star Game and the first Greek NBA All-Star.

Stardom

Antetokounmpo won back-to-back NBA Most Valuable Player Awards in 2019 and 2020, under new Bucks’ coach Mike Budenholzer.

He joins LA Lakers’ Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James as the only players in NBA history to win two MVPs before turning 26.

Antetokounmpo was also named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, becoming only the third player after Michael Jordan (1988) and Hakeem Olajuwon (1994) to win both awards in the same season.

During the 2020-2021 season, he posted series averages of 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.8 blocks, and was subsequently named NBA Finals MVP by unanimous vote.

The young player was critical in the success of the Milwaukee Bucks, who had not clinched a title since 1971.

What is his net worth?

He earns around $39.3 million from his salary at the Bucks, plus around $10million from

endorsements.

He is sponsored by Nike, Red Bull, Hulu, 2k Sports, Kronos Foods, Tissot, BMO and Harris Bank.

As this is now his eight season in the sport, he is now estimated to be worth around $100 million (£72,686,500)