Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was born into poverty in Athens, Greece in 1994. His African immigrant parents moved from Nigeria and lived in Greece without papers. 60 Minutes correspondent Steve Kroft interviews Antetokounmpo who has been nicknamed The Greek Freak for his homeland and his astonishing athletic ability. The 6’11” tall 23-year-old professional basketball player has a 7-foot wingspan. (Antetokounmpo is so good that Kobe Bryant, the retired Lakers legend, issued a challenge to him before the 2017-18 NBA season to win the NBA MVP Award. There aren’t a lot of NBA players for whom winning the MVP is a reasonable challenge.)
On 60 Minutes, Antetokounmpo tells Kroft although they didn’t have money, and shared just one room together (Giannis is one of five boys), “we were smiling, having fun.” The family peddled goods on the street. Glasses, watches, DVDs. When Kroft said, “you must have been a good salesman,” Giannis replied with a smile, “I was the best.” His secret to selling, “I didn’t give up.” Plus, he was cute and young. Giannis isn’t the only one in the family who plays ball. His younger brother, Kostas, plays at the University of Dayton. 60 Minutes airs Sundays at 7pm on CBS.
