The NBA player talks to essence about balancing his identities as a Nigerian and Greek, the value of traveling to his father’s homeland, and recording his experience using WhatsApp Help.

As an NBA champion, basketball has brought Giannis Antetokounmpo all over the world, both in terms of his influence and physical presence. But of all the locations the world-famous athlete had been, Nigeria was the one that was appealing to him—a nation he had never visited.

Though most people refer to Antetokounmpo as the “Greek Freak” because of his Greek nationality—a moniker he proudly wears—those closest to him refer to him as “Ugo.” Given that the celebrity is the son of Charles and Veronica Adetokunbo, it is his Nigerian name. The hero and three of his four brothers were born in Athens, when they relocated from Lagos. During the process, they had to alter their last name to Antetokounmpo.

From playing in Athens youth clubs to being drafted into the NBA, winning a championship in 2021, and being recognized one of the greatest players in NBA history as a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, the Greek-Nigerian has accomplished a great deal since then. However, over all those years—more precisely, his 29 years—he had never felt at home.

Thus, this past summer, Antetokounmpo and his mother Vera traveled to his father’s homeland after the pandemic prevented them from visiting Nigeria in 2020. The actor was joined on his first visit to Lagos by a film crew, which included filmmaker Rick Famuyiwa, a Nigerian immigrant himself, who was there to record the experience for a new documentary produced by Antetokounmpo in collaboration with WhatsApp.

He tells ESSENCE, “It was really, really special to be able to show the world that, at the end of the day, understand that my parents came from Nigeria, even though everybody knows me as Giannis Antetokounmpo, the ‘Greek Freak,’ etcetera, etcetera.” “Our entire story began in Nigeria.”

The movie, titled Ugo, centers on Antetokounmpo as he returns home, reconnects with his family, and engages with the people and culture that have shaped the man he is now.

For him, it was both an amazing and humble experience, he adds. “I got the chance to visit a few locations, engage with the locals, and speak with children. I realized why I behaved the way I did at that point. I now understand who I am and how I am, as I am just like one of them.

Ugo captures these moments so well, from his admiration of young Lagosians surfing to dressing up in an outfit that honors his late father’s Yoruba tribal heritage and mother’s Igbo heritage, complete with an agbada. The audience shares in the star’s delight and wonder as they explore this unfamiliar yet recognizable environment, representing his unique journey. It won’t be his last, he promises.

He states, “It’s going to be an annual thing now.” Since my children are young, it’s possible that they won’t be able to travel to comprehend where we are from and to be able to ask the appropriate questions, but I’m still going. My wife and I want to go there. I also want to take my kids there when they are older.

“I want them to understand what sacrifice my parents made so that we could live our dreams, do what we do, and be in this position today,” he continues.

In an honest interview with ESSENCE, Antetokounmpo discussed Ugo, reconciling his Greek and Nigerian identities, and why it took him so long to return home.

Essential: Why was it crucial for you to collaborate with WhatsApp on this documentary, particularly since you’ve been in the spotlight so much and are Greek?

Giannis Antetokounmpo: I think that working with WhatsApp to enable me to return home was a fantastic experience in and of itself. It was a wonderful experience to be able to return home, share it with my mother and my friends, and get to meet my family members for the first time. It was something that, in my opinion, the world would want to witness.

I have to know if you have ever witnessed talks between your Nigerian fans and your Greek admirers, who are like, “He’s Greek!” on social media. No, he’s a Nigerian. Have you encountered those alternating patterns?

Yes, I have. I make an effort to avoid social media, but it’s difficult these days. However, you can see it without visiting social media. I play games with a lot of people, and sometimes you see the Nigerian flag and other times you see the Greek flag.

I am aware of my origins. I am aware that I was raised in a Greek educational and cultural environment. Even though I was born in Greece, returning to Nigeria felt natural. There are no words to describe it. I managed to become accustomed to the cadence of people’s daily activities there. I witnessed the exchange. I make an effort not to focus too much. But you can be both for all those individuals.

Without a doubt. In the documentary, you also claimed that while you were raised in Greece, every time you opened your door, you found yourself in a Nigerian home. Therefore, I would like to know how your extensive exposure to your culture helped you feel at ease and comfortable after you got to Lagos.

Since I had never been there before, I won’t even try to lie. My mother asked me to accompany her. I was feeling a little anxious, and she didn’t want me to go alone. I had no idea what to anticipate. I had no idea if I would be welcomed by the populace. I felt uneasy. As I’ve mentioned numerous times, I was raised in a Nigerian culture.

Even now, I still eat my mother’s cuisine after games and spent my childhood listening to music. My dad also follows politics and other related matters and stays in constant communication with my family in Nigeria. The family has always been Nigerian.

I went to Greek school when I got out of the house. Greeks made up the majority. All people were Greek, with the exception of my brothers and me. However, I was in Nigeria at the time. I was scared, for sure, but as soon as I arrived at the airport and realized that most people there looked and behaved like me—that is, they had the same attitude and swag—I felt right at home.

Regarding anxiety, you noted that WhatsApp made it possible for you to stay in touch with your relatives there, but that you were anxious to meet them in person. I believe that when people see you, they would presume that you’re Giannis, a well-known celebrity, so why are you anxious to meet new people? You have an enormously charismatic personality! Could you comment on that?

People, first of all, give you the impression that you are larger than life. That’s what people don’t understand. There are obviously a lot of people and celebrities in this industry. I don’t try to claim to be a star, yet they might believe that I am. However, I don’t believe it has ever been that way in my situation. That’s never been the situation.

I’ve been bashful ever since I was a child. I was always, even with my family, very close to myself. And things have always been that way. My skill in basketball does not automatically translate into coolness and extroversion. Furthermore, just because you hold this position doesn’t guarantee that people like you.

Some of your admirers are against you, while some of them are on your side. Some members of your family love you, and some believe you are nothing more than dust. But just going back for me, they’ve never seen me. They have only talked to me on the phone. They are unaware of my height. They’ve never felt my energy. But I think one of the best experiences that I had was with my mom. I think my mom went there a week or two weeks before with my older brother.

And also, the last time she went there was for few days in 2016, and before that, it was like 30 something years ago, and she hasn’t really seen her family. But the moment they came in, we connected. My uncle was right there singing for me. My aunt right there was praying for me. My cousin looked like me.

Along with dancing and eating, we began to play music. Following that, they joined us at the hotel, where we went outside and had long conversations. Because we are all quite busy with our careers, I felt the same sense of security that I get from my brothers when I don’t see them for a time.

Even though we are in different countries, we always click during the off-season. Whether or not we haven’t seen each other in six months is irrelevant. Furthermore, my mother didn’t care that she hadn’t seen her brother or sister in thirty years. They clicked right away. They would remark things like, “No, I was faster when I was younger,” in a competitive manner. When we were in high school, I was the attractive one.

I realized then why I was the way I was with my brothers. Thus, the occasion was fantastic. I’m grateful to WhatsApp for collaborating with me to make my first experience as exceptional as it could have been. Thus, it was fantastic.

If it’s okay with you, may I ask how happy you were to see your mother reunited with her siblings? It seems like they just went back to acting like they were faster than you. The dancer was me. I used to be this. What was it like for you to go through this with your dad not being there, too?

Yes, that is difficult. I do, however, always say that he is observing us. Furthermore, he is incredibly proud of us and all that we have managed to do. Not just me, though; everyone will want their father to be present and be able to tell him, “It’s okay, I did this here.” This is where I learnt to swim. This was the location of my first date. I used to play soccer here. I was hired for my first job here. I got to know your mom here.

However, I’m sure he’s incredibly happy that I was able to travel, see his birthplace, visit with family, and take care of others. where each of us truly originated.

Lastly, what do you want the world to learn about you, Ugo, from sharing your narrative and revealing this new or distinct aspect of your life?

That is a valid query. I believe that it’s great that you can be both. It is possible to be both. It was, I believe, a really, really humble experience for me. Furthermore, I don’t really share many of my personal experiences or periods of introspection, but that was, in my opinion, worth sharing.

And I believe that many individuals can identify to it and journey back in time to discover their own origins. To witness my parents and the struggles they endured so that I could be in this situation, speaking with you over the phone and being able to play NBA basketball. It was necessary for someone to take action before I could get the chance to accomplish it.

I’m not sure. My profession is history. I always enjoy going back and making every effort to solve puzzles and come up with answers. And I believe that people who are like that will enjoy this documentary if it exists.