On June 27, 2013, commissioner David Stern walked to the podium at Barclays Center, cleared his throat and announced, “With the 15th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, the Milwaukee Bucks select Giannis Antetokounmpo from Athens, Greece.”
A skinny 18-year-old, unknown to most fans and even some high-level NBA personnel — “I didn’t know who the hell he was,” Gregg Popovich said — stood up in the crowd. He hugged his brother, Thanasis, who was draped in a Greek flag, buttoned his suit jacket, walked to the stage, shook the commissioner’s hand and began his NBA journey. Ten years in, that journey is one of the most impressive and improbable in the history of professional sports.
This oral history, with insight from more than 30 current and former teammates, opponents, coaches and opposing coaches, tracks Antetokounmpo’s rise from NBA Draft mystery man to two-time MVP and NBA champion.
‘Three yards and a cloud of dust basically every possession’
The first time Antetokounmpo stepped on the court for an NBA game was Oct. 30, 2013, at Madison Square Garden, the site of several key moments throughout his evolution. That he played just four minutes and 43 seconds and scored one point mattered little to him. He grew up selling toys, watches and video games on the streets of Athens, and he spent the previous season in the Greek second division. He had made it.
Antetokounmpo’s first season was a bit of a bumpy ride. His playing time, role and production all fluctuated. It was clear, though, that he had immense potential and the desire to reach it. And it was clear that the Bucks had something.
Josh Oppenheimer, Bucks assistant coach, 2013-16; 2020-present: I was there as soon as he got here, I worked him out the first time he ever worked out. Obviously, he was different. He was 6-8 and a half, 185 pounds, and I think the goal was, from my point of view, could he be Scottie Pippen-like?
Khris Middleton, Bucks forward, 2013-present: Heard about him being drafted; skinny kid that had a lot of potential. He was 6-9 at the time, long, wiry, but you could…
..
