ROMANCE BRO: Giannis Antetokounmpo gave Thanasis a special shoe when Bucks star once was shared his shoes by brother to pursue his NBA dream

Giannis Antetokounmpo dedicated his new “All-Star” Zoom Freak 5s to his brother, Thanasis.

The sneakers, that say, “Thanasis, thanks for sharing,” represent Thanasis sharing his shoes with Giannis when they were poor kids in Greece.

NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee Bucks may have his own signature Nike shoe on the way, but after sitting down for an interview with “60 Minutes,” the baller revealed on Sunday that during his modest upbringing he once had to share sneakers with his brother while growing up in Greece.

Born to Nigerian parents in 1994, the family rarely had enough to eat and often slept three or four to a bed, living in a tiny two-room apartment.

“You know, it was tough. We didn’t have a lot of money. But we had a lot of happiness. So we wasn’t broke happiness-wise. When we were struggling back in the day, we were all together in one room, same room. We were having fun. We were smiling. There was some tough times,” the athlete told CBS News’ Steve Kroft.

Giannis’ father got the Bucks star and his brother, Thanasis, into basketball and encouraged them to pursue a career in sports. They played on a second division Greek team earning less than $500 a month. Thanasis is now on the Greek National Team and plays in a top European league.

Taking Kroft to the humble gym in Athens where they used to play, Giannis — who’s been wearing player-exclusive editions of Nike‘s new Kobe AD midtop sneaker this season — recalled how their modest earnings affected what happened on the court. “I remember one game we played with the same pair. One game.”

Nevertheless, Giannis has made two All-Star teams since the Bucks selected him with the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, re-signed with Nike last fall, and his financial difficulties are now behind him. Fans refer to him as the “Greek Freak” with affection.

Following a breakout 2016–17 campaign, Giannis attracted the attention of numerous sportswear brands, including rival to Nike Adidas. However, in early November, he finally agreed to a long-term contract with Nike.