The Story⚡
“Improbable Media” is the name of the new business venture launched by Milwaukee Bucks Superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
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Giannis spearheads the business venture, with his brothers, Entrepreneur Jay Williams, Verance Capital and GPS Investment Partnerships making up the ownership group.
The business is positioned as a Production and Brand Consulting Company with a mission to make the Improbable, Probable.
The Venture’s launching light is to be the film Documentary – “Giannis: The Marvelous Journey”.
The Feature set for a February 19th Prime Videos release date chronicles Giannis Antetokounmpo’s odyssey from an impoverished childhood in Greece as the son of Nigerian immigrants to superstardom as a professional basketball player.
Giannis’ Visits Home; Nigeria
The Greece Nigerian Basketball star, Giannis Ugo Antetokoumpo visited his homeland Nigeria during the summer of 2023.
He was born to an Igbo woman and a Yoruba father who emigrated from Nigeria to Greece 35 years ago.
Though Giannis had never visited Nigeria, he was in constant communication with his family in the country via WhatsApp.
One of the thoughts that spurred Giannis’ interest in visiting Nigeria is the thought of knowing where he’s from.
“We do not know who we are until we know where we are from”- He said.
He wanted to know his homeland beyond pictures. He wanted to see those who look like him and act the way he does.
“I can’t fully know who I am until I know where my story started”- said the 29-year-old superstar.
He wanted to know the foundation of his culture as he already knew his mom to be Igbo while his dad is Yoruba which was a major restraint on what language to learn.
Antetokoumpo took an interest in kids who love basketball as they began to ask him questions about the NBA.
“Every day when you wake up, you have to try to be better, you have to improve”- He replied.
He reminded the kids about Hakeem Olajuwon who was once like them yet he made his way into the NBA.
“You have the tools to get drafted in the NBA, but you have to work.”- Giannis added.
Ugo, as fondly called by his Igbo folks unveiled in his film, an Igbo learning centre in Lagos aimed at promoting Igbo literacy among children.
Tangent
Giannis’ visit to his homeland Nigeria was documented in a film and was released on YouTube.
Ugo: A Homecoming Story is produced in collaboration with the CAFF (Charles Antetokounmpo Family Foundation), WhatsApp, and the nonprofit organization NABU.
Key Background
Giannis Sina Ugo Antetokoumpo is a Greek-Nigerian professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association.
He’s widely known as one of the greatest power forwards and one of the greatest players of all time.
Giannis is identified with his unique strength, speed, and size which earned him the name Greek Freak.
While living with his parents, he began playing for the youth teams in Athens. Then in 2011, he began playing for the club senior team before he entered the NBA draft in 2013.
In 2016/17 Giannis also known as Ugo led the Bucks in all five major statistical categories and became the first player in NBA history to finish a regular season in the top 20 in all five statistics of total points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.
He has received prestigious awards such as:
- The Most Improved Player award in 2017.
- Seven All-Star selections, including being selected as an All-Star captain in 2019, 2020, and 2023.
- Antetokounmpo won consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player Awards in 2019 and 2020, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James as the only players in NBA history to win two MVPs before turning 26.
- He 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.
- In 2021, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to their first NBA championship since 1971 and was named Finals MVP.
- The same year, he was honoured as one of the league’s greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
The NBA Superstar produced a film Rise, based on the life of Antetokounmpo and his family, which was released in 2022.
He then proceeded further to release the film Ugo: A Homecoming Story in 2024.
In Summary
Improbable media launches with a connection to Giannis Antetokoumpo’s Roots. This is a call to all Nigerians raised abroad to remember their heritage and never forget home, its stories, advantages, and opportunities.
Ugo: A Homecoming Story is on showing on YouTube whilst “Giannis: The Marvelous Journey” starts showing on Prime Video from February 19th.
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