Rise takeaway: Real talent can never be hidden for long

Disney's latest sports drama Rise circled around the life of the legendary Antetokounmpo brothers, who have established themselves as some of the foremost NBA stars of the present day. Mainly following the lives of Giannis (Uche Agada) and Thanasis (Ral Agada), the film looks at their growth, upbringing, and rise in the basketball world.

Deviating from typical sports-film norms, Rise dedicated a chunk of its runtime to exploring the upbringing and social conditions behind the budding future NBA stars. While exploring the difficulties of the immigrant lifestyle, the film made it evident how great talent cannot be suppressed for long, no matter the socio-political conditions around them. Many great personalities have demonstrated the same in the past.

Despite the things holding them back, three of the Antetokounmpo brothers became NBA players and wrote their names in the history books of the sport.

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Rise: The worth of talent amid adverse social conditions

The focus of the film has been well emphasized since the very beginning. It starts with Charles (played by Dayo Okeniyi) and Vera Antetokounmpo's (played by Yetide Badaki) immigration to Greece in 1990. They left their first-born son in Nigeria with a relative.

From here on, the film time and again establishes the harsh living conditions and the potentially dangerous circumstances immigrants in Europe encounter. Charles and Vera are always seen looking over their shoulders, with no stable employment or promise of a better future. Their poverty, though not stark, is quite evident throughout the film.

Rise depicts instances of poverty while showing the young Giannis slowly getting into basketball. It also shows that he and his brother Thanasis used to share the same pair of shoes while practicing the game. They go on to get themselves enrolled for basketball at the Filathlitikou team center in Athens, with the main reason being that it was free of cost.

The struggles of the immigrant family were also represented while talks of Giannis' selection were ongoing. The film established multiple times how difficult it was for the brothers to break into the scene due to the conditions they had to live through. But they still did it. By the end of the story, there was only one way for Giannis to make it big while also providing a peaceful life for his family.

Despite the odds, Giannis did succeed in doing both, and that was not even the end of it. His then-injured older brother also managed to make it to the NBA the following year, proving that Giannis' breakthrough was not a lucky one.

His other brother, Kostas, also made it big soon after. This proves that when there is talent, lack of resources or unfavorable social conditions cannot stop it. There just needs to be the belief.

Speaking about his childhood, Giannis said:

“I was selling stuff probably since I could remember, like 6 or 7 years old. I was always out there helping my mom and dad sell watches, glasses, CDs, DVDs, and stuff like that. Whatever we could put our hands on. I did it until I was around 17. But I was just doing it because I had to. There was no other option.”

Giannis, Kostas, and Thanasis have all made it big in their lives, demonstrating that anyone with the will and talent can do the same.

Rise is now streaming on Disney+.