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Disney's latest sports drama Rise premiered on June 24, 2022. It chronicles the story of Greek-born Nigerian basketball legend Giannis Antetokounmpo (Uche Agada), who is now a household name to NBA fans.
He, along with his two brothers, Thanasis and Kostas, became the first trio of brothers to play in the NBA. However, the story was far from just Giannis' basketball glory.
Rise started with the family's immigration and focused on the various troubles they faced along the way. They even left their first-born son behind in Nigeria. The film sheds light on almost every aspect of Giannis and Thanasis' growing years, eventually culminating in the tense NBA draft at the end of the film. However, it was mentioned multiple times that Giannis had to get in within the first 15 picks.
Read on to find out why that was crucial to Giannis move to the NBA.
Rise ending: A family's future at stake
The film did not shy away from depicting the harsh realities of the illegal immigrant lifestyle that the Antetokounmpo family had to live in for years before Giannis' sports career took off. Several times, the film showed how the family had to avoid the police. The film also even noted that both Giannis and Thanasis' careers were in jeopardy due to their illegal immigrant status.
After the two brothers slowly develop their taste and skills for basketball, they are approached by an agent. However, he tells them that it is impossible for them to play because of their illegal immigrant status.
Later, another agent, Haris, signs Giannis, who is soon slated for an offer with a Spanish side. However, things didn't go well there and the two decided that they would go directly for the NBA.
As Giannis and the rest of the Antetokounmpo family want to stay together, the only option left for Giannis is to get drafted into the top 15 picks. If that happened, the entire family would get a chance to move to America with Giannis, and the club would take care of everything.
Because the entire family's future and hopes were hanging on the draft, it became crucial for Giannis to be selected in the top 15. After skillfully building up tension all around the drafting procedure, the film finally showed Giannis being picked at number 15. This meant that everything he and his family dreamt of would come true.
The film, Rise, ends with real-life footage of Giannis Antetokounmpo intercut with title cards that read what happened to the Antetokounmpos in the future. Needless to say, Giannis went on to become one of the biggest names in the NBA, winning two MVP awards.
Sadly, his father Charles (Dayo Okeniyi) was not around to see his son perform this incredible feat.
The title cards, at the end of Rise, also revealed that Thanasis was drafted the following year and Kostas, sometime later, making the Antetokounmpo brothers the first trio to play in the NBA.
All in all, Rise managed to create a compelling drama that was all-around interesting, with a lot to take home from the family's struggles and resurgence. Players like Giannis continue to inspire generations, making it clear that talent and hard work cannot and will not be hidden from society.
Rise is now streaming on Disney+ worldwide.
