NBA fans had nothing but kind words for Giannis Antetokounmpo and his mother, Veronica, for wearing traditional Nigerian outfits. Veronica shared an image of her and the Milwaukee Bucks superstar during their trip to Nigeria in August as part of the promotion of his documentary.
In an Instagram post, Veronica shared the image from their trip to Nigeria last year when they visited their country of origin. They were promoting "Ugo," a WhatsApp-produced documentary about Giannis' roots and the entire trip to learn about their culture.
"Growing up in Greece, my Nigerian culture was something my mother made sure we carried with us, but I was never lucky enough to have a direct experience in my homeland," Giannis said in a statement before the documentary's release.
"Thankfully WhatsApp helped me stay connected to my family and roots, allowing me to create my own unique version of heritage."
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NBA fans on social media reacted to Veronica and Giannis Antetokounmpo wearing traditional Nigerian outfits. Giannis' parents are originally from Lagos, Nigeria but immigrated to Greece to find work. The two-time MVP was born and raised in Athens.
One fan admired the traditional costume:
"Absolutely fabulous! So regal and beautiful."
One fan reckons the Antetokounmpos looked like royalty:
"I see Royalty and loyalty. I love this photo!"
Another fan loved that Giannis and his mother went back to their roots:
"Oh I love it! Beautiful picture and keeping your roots alive e in future generations!!! Many blessings!!!the traditional dress is beautiful!"
Here are other reactions on X to the Antetokounmpo's outfits:
Giannis Antetokounmpo on being born in Greece with Nigerian roots
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the son of Nigerian immigrants in Greece. He's Greek by birth but understands that his heritage is from Africa. He represents Greece in international basketball, but that doesn't mean that he hasn't acknowledged his roots.
On the "48 Minutes" podcast in September, "The Greek Freak" discussed growing up in Greece. He explained that he's Greek but grew up in a Nigerian household. He also called himself a bit European due to having a lot of European friends in school.
Antetokounmpo also pointed out Hakeem Olajuwon playing for Team USA despite being born in Lagos, Nigeria. He was proud to get mentioned alongside the Hall of Famer, who he called the greatest African player ever.
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