How Tall is Giannis Antetokounmpo: Greek professional basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo has a net worth of $70 million. Giannis, also known as “the Greek freak,” is one of the highest-paid players in the NBA, with a top yearly contract of $45 million.
He set a record for the NBA by finishing the regular season in the top 20 in each of the five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals. In addition, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to their first NBA championship in 50 years in 2021 and won back-to-back NBA MVP Awards in 2019 and 2020.
How tall is Giannis Antetokounmpo?
The Milwaukee Bucks’ roster has Giannis Antetokounmpo listed as 6 feet, 11 inches. He’s the second-tallest player on the Bucks, only shorter than center Brook Lopez, who stands at 7 feet. However, the wonder from Greece didn’t enter the NBA at his current height.
According to ESPN, former Bucks general manager John Hammond revealed the organization measured him at 6 feet, 8.5 inches when it drafted the eventual All-Star with the No. 15 overall choice in 2013. Milwaukee’s strength and conditioning coach told Hammond toward the middle of Antetokounmpo’s first season that Giannis was “still growing.” By the year’s end, he rocketed to 6-11.
That height, mixed with his 7-foot-3-inch wingspan, 242-pound bulk, and unmatched athleticism, has made him the dominant star he is today.
How His Height Compares to Other Nba MVPs
So, since Antetokounmpo has become such a formidable force, how does his size compare to other NBA stars? Take a look at all of the league MVPs since 2010. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Nikola Jokic are closest to Antetokounmpo’s size, but they are all completely different players.
While they are stronger along the perimeter, neither James nor Durant is as dominant in the paint, and they don’t rebound either. Jokic, on the other hand, doesn’t have Antetokounmpo’s quickness and agility, and he doesn’t handle the ball either.
That being said, the Greek Freak is a one-of-a-kind player. No one his stature has been as fast and explosive, and while he hasn’t been the greatest of shooters during his career, his desire to be the best has helped him to improve his shot in recent seasons. Giannis is as unusual as they come, and his rare physical tools have produced him one of the most dominant forces the NBA has ever seen.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Early Life and Career
Giannis Adetokunbo, the actual name of Giannis Antetokounmpo, was born on December 6, 1994, to Nigerian immigrants Charles and Veronica in Athens, Greece. He has two younger brothers, Kostas and Alex, and two older brothers, Thanasis and Francis. He and his brother Thanasis supported their family financially by hawking handbags, watches, and sunglasses on the streets because his parents struggled to find employment. Antetokounmpo started playing basketball in 2007. He remained stateless for the first 18 years.
He could not leave Greece because he did not have Greek citizenship. He finally became a citizen of Greece in May 2013, just before the NBA draught. Antetokounmpo is a citizen of Nigeria as well. In 2011, Antetokounmpo started his playing career with the senior men’s squad of Filathlitikos, a semi-pro team in the Greek B Basket League. He agreed to a four-year contract with the Spanish team CAI Zaragoza the following year.
Start with the Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks selected Antetokounmpo with the 15th overall pick in the first round of the 2013 NBA Draft. At 18, he made his NBA debut that October, making him one of the league’s youngest players. In 77 appearances during his first season, Antetokounmpo averaged 6.8 points and 4.4 rebounds.
Later, he was selected for the second team of the 2013–14 NBA All-Rookie squad. A game against the Rockets the following season saw Antetokounmpo post a career-high 27 points and 15 rebounds, which led to tremendous success. He increased his career to 29 points against the Pelicans later in the season.
In the 2015–16 season, Antetokounmpo continued to improve, raising his point total to over 17 per contest. In a game against the Cavaliers, he set a new career-high with 33 points, and in December, he nearly had a triple-double with 11 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists. He achieved his first triple-double in a victory over the Lakers in February 2016 with 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Earnings and Contracts
Giannis has a shoe endorsement relationship with Nike, among many other big endorsement arrangements. Giannis and Nike agreed to a “long-term” sponsorship deal in November 2017. Giannis made $35 million in salary and endorsements between June 2017 and June 2018. He made $43 million from June 2018 to June 2019. He receives at least $10 million in endorsement payments each year.
Giannis and the Bucks agreed to a $100 million contract in September 2016. Giannis extended his deal with the Bucks for five years and $228 million on December 15, 2020. At the time of signing, it was the richest contract in NBA history regarding cash per season. The agreement pays an average salary of $45 million annually.
Bucks All-Star
Antetokounmpo signed a $100 million, four-year contract extension with the Bucks in September of that year and enjoyed his breakthrough campaign. He scored a career-high 39 points in December, and in a victory over the Knicks in January, he hit his first game-winning buzzer-beater. Later, Antetokounmpo became the first Greek NBA All-Star when he was selected as a starter for the Eastern Conference All-Star team.
He subsequently contributed to the Bucks’ 14-4 record in March, which was the best in the Eastern Conference. He also led the team in each of the team’s five critical statistical categories throughout the regular season. Antetokounmpo also made history by becoming the first NBA player to rank among the top 20 in the league in terms of points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals.
Antetokounmpo had a solid start to the 2017–18 season, scoring 175 points in only the first five games. He scored over 27 points per game this season and surpassed his previous career best of 44 points in a victory over the Trail Blazers. After facing the Celtics in the opening round of the playoffs, the Bucks were ultimately defeated in seven games.
MVP and NBA Championship
With seven straight victories to start the 2018–19 campaign, Antetokounmpo maintained his success. He received several Player of the Month awards from the Eastern Conference and set a new career best with 52 points in March. The Bucks finished the season 60-22, the best record in the league, under Antetokounmpo’s direction.
After defeating the Pistons in the second round of the playoffs, the club went on to win the Eastern Conference Finals before losing to the Raptors. Antetokounmpo was cited for his accomplishments by being selected as the NBA MVP for the year. Next year, he received the same honor again.
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Antetokounmpo re-signed with the Bucks in December 2020 on a $228 million, five-year deal extension. With a 46-26 record at the end of the season, the squad earned the third seed in the Eastern Conference. Antetokounmpo contributed to the Bucks’ four-game playoff sweep over the Heat in the opening round. He helped them defeat the Nets in a seven-game series in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Bucks then made their first trip to the NBA Finals in 47 years. The team battled back to win the remaining four games despite dropping the first two. Antetokounmpo’s 50 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks in the decisive match helped the Bucks win their first championship since 1971. He was thus unanimously chosen as the NBA Finals MVP.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Personal Life
Antetokounmpo’s son, Liam Charles, was born with the help of his partner Mariah Riddlesprigger. Most of Antetokounmpo’s family moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he now resides, in early 2014. He and his family gave 20,000 masks to Greeks in Athens and Zografou in 2020 to aid in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
For almost 4 years, Jason Martin has been a freelance writer for newspapers, journals, blogs, books, and online material. He covers the most recent news as well as many other topics.