In the midst of Milwaukee's euphoric championship celebration on Tuesday, siblings Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo shared a heartwarming moment and melted the internet. Giannis received the Finals MVP trophy after leading the Bucks to their first NBA championship in 50 years and immediately called his brother, who was forced to miss the team's championship game after being placed in health and safety protocol due to COVID-19, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
The two teammates laughed, cried and danced while chatting on Instagram Live to celebrate Milwaukee's 105-98 win over the Phoenix Suns. They also rapped to the lyrics of "For the Night" by Pop Smoke featuring Lil Baby.
Giannis sharing the moments after winning the title on IG Live with his brother. This is amazing start to finish. pic.twitter.com/rEMG7vMS9l
— Danny Parkins (@DannyParkins) July 21, 2021
With Instagram users looking on, Giannis repeatedly told his brother that he loves him. At one point, the Finals MVP jokingly said he's going to the hotel where his brother is quarantined.
"I'll come to the hotel; I don't care, I'm coming," Giannis said.
Thanasis, who was experiencing a range of emotions during the celebration, laughed while telling his brother not to come.
"No you're not, I'm not opening the door," he said.
The Antetokounmpo family now has three NBA championships to their name. That includes last year's championship from Kostas, who earned a title as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Every Antetokounmpo brother in the NBA has now won a championship
Giannis – 2021 Bucks ????
Thanasis – 2021 Bucks ????
Kostas – 2020 Lakers ???? pic.twitter.com/uSWRlaoG0N— SB Nation (@SBNation) July 21, 2021
According to The Sun, the three NBA champions come from a family of athletes. Their parents, Charles and Veronica, made a name for themselves in Nigeria. While Charles starred as a soccer player, Veronica was known for her high jumping skills. The duo also gave birth to two more boys, Francis and Alex. Francis, who was born in Nigeria as the first child, is the only Antetokounmpo brother who didn't start life in Greece.
Giannis, who was still largely unrecognized when he was selected by the Bucks in the 2013 NBA Draft, has now become a global star. But he still strives to help people understand where he comes from.
“Obviously, a lot of people don’t know where I’m from,” the All-Star told The Undefeated. “A lot of people think my mom or my dad are from Greece, but no. Both of my parents are Black. Both of my parents are Nigerian.”
The 26-year-old hopes to soon visit his parents' birth country.
“I want to see where my family comes from, where my mom was raised, see my family, see where my dad was raised. That is very important. I hope my kids can do the same thing for me,” he said. “Obviously, I am going to have kids that are going to grow up in the U.S., but one day I hope they can go back [to Greece] and visit and see where I grew up, the playground I was playing.”
