THE FUSE

There is a story Giannis Antetokounmpo tells about his early days in Athens. He and his brothers sold watches and sunglasses to passing tourists on the streets, adjusting the prices based on how wealthy the pedestrian appeared to be. The money kept the family alive. His father, Charles, had immigrated from Lagos, Nigeria, to Athens in 1991 with his wife Veronica in search of a better life. The Greek government never granted them citizenship. Their children were stateless, unable to own property, attend public school or travel freely. Giannis was born in the Sepolia neighbourhood of Athens on December 6, 1994, the second of five sons, and grew up in a family that learned to treat scarcity as a discipline.