Masai Ujiri: Giannis is not Greek, he's Nigerian

[SK21209]

who cares what Giannis or anyone is or identifies as, it's a personal thing

[Jazz9]

Uhhh...who the hell does he think he is to say that?
Don't tell Giannis what he is or isn't

giannis has literally said he's nigerian.

Giannis has a greek citizenship
Has he ever denied being Greek?

[skones]

who cares

Giannis admires and respects him. He wants to win a title. Hopefully the Bucks can take the next step cuz I wouldn't want Masai in a room with Giannis in July 2021.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using RealGM mobile app

This is nothing more than Toronto fans grasping onto straws. It's not happening. Toronto fans want to make Masai into this father figure and confidant when it's just not the case.

[freethedevil]

Uhhh...who the hell does he think he is to say that?
Don't tell Giannis what he is or isn't

giannis has literally said he's nigerian.

Giannis has a greek citizenship
Has he ever denied being Greek?

Antetokounmpo grew up in Greek culture learning the language, going to school and eventually starting to play basketball at age 7. But when he was home with his family, he learned and lived the Nigerian way.

“I grew up in a Nigerian home,” Antetokounmpo said. “Obviously, I was born in Greece and went to school in Greece. But at the end of the day when I go home, there is no Greek culture. It’s straight-up Nigerian culture. It’s about discipline, it’s about respecting your elders, having morals.”

“There are a lot of people that I see and I tell them that I am African. I am not just ‘The Greek Freak,’ ” Antetokounmpo said.

“It doesn’t matter what people may believe because of my nickname. There were a lot of times when I was in Greece where people said, ‘You’re not Greek. You’re Nigerian because you’re black.’ But then there have been a lot of times where it’s been the opposite, where people say, ‘You’re not African. You’re Greek. You’re ‘The Greek Freak.’ ’ But I don’t really care about that. Deep down, I know who I am and where I am from. That’s all that matters to me.”

'clearly identifies as Nigerian first, greek second.

[theonlyclutch]

Uhhh...who the hell does he think he is to say that?
Don't tell Giannis what he is or isn't

He's already addressed that -

“I grew up in a Nigerian home,” Antetokounmpo said. “Obviously, I was born in Greece and went to school in Greece. But at the end of the day when I go home, there is no Greek culture. It’s straight-up Nigerian culture"

“There are a lot of people that I see and I tell them that I am African."

He's become more vocal about his Nigerian roots in the last few months, seemed to start around the time a host on Greek TV said his brother was a monkey.

^^^
It's not that hard to imagine that Giannis would identify more with the country his (likely tight) family is from, rather than the country that would have deported him in a moment's notice (had they known) for the vast majority of his life.

[NoDopeOnSundays]

Uhhh...who the hell does he think he is to say that?
Don't tell Giannis what he is or isn't

giannis has literally said he's nigerian.

Giannis has a greek citizenship
Has he ever denied being Greek?

Masai is the person that helped him get that citizenship, and he didn't become a citizen until he was 18 and heading to the NBA.

[neo515]

His nationality is Greek, his family is from Nigeria. It's the equivalent of a random guy saying he's American but Grandparents came from Portugal or something.

Not the same. His parents weren't even citizens. They arrived as immigrants.

My guy is Nigerian through and through.

People don’t seem to know that North and West Africans once inhabited, civilized and discovered alot of Europe. Greece, Spain, Ireland were all inhabited by Africans for a span of 700 years before the slave trade was remotely relevant.

I hope you're trolling, because this is beyond stupid on so many levels. First of all, Africa is a massive continent with numerous ethnicities and racial identities. West Africans from present-day states like Nigeria and Sierra Leone have about as much in common with Egyptians & Libyans as the latter do with Swedes. Secondly, unless you're referring to still disputed human origin theories, Africans never "civilized and discovered" any of Europe. What a ridiculous crackpot theory.

[VinBaker6]

who cares

Giannis admires and respects him. He wants to win a title. Hopefully the Bucks can take the next step cuz I wouldn't want Masai in a room with Giannis in July 2021.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using RealGM mobile app

This is nothing more than Toronto fans grasping onto straws. It's not happening.

You sound almost as confident as during the ECF. Almost.

[Jazz9]

giannis has literally said he's nigerian.

Giannis has a greek citizenship
Has he ever denied being Greek?

Antetokounmpo grew up in Greek culture learning the language, going to school and eventually starting to play basketball at age 7. But when he was home with his family, he learned and lived the Nigerian way.

“I grew up in a Nigerian home,” Antetokounmpo said. “Obviously, I was born in Greece and went to school in Greece. But at the end of the day when I go home, there is no Greek culture. It’s straight-up Nigerian culture. It’s about discipline, it’s about respecting your elders, having morals.”

“There are a lot of people that I see and I tell them that I am African. I am not just ‘The Greek Freak,’ ” Antetokounmpo said.

“It doesn’t matter what people may believe because of my nickname. There were a lot of times when I was in Greece where people said, ‘You’re not Greek. You’re Nigerian because you’re black.’ But then there have been a lot of times where it’s been the opposite, where people say, ‘You’re not African. You’re Greek. You’re ‘The Greek Freak.’ ’ But I don’t really care about that. Deep down, I know who I am and where I am from. That’s all that matters to me.”

'clearly identifies as Nigerian first, greek second.

From the other thread

Read on Twitter

So yeah he clearly identifies, as you've said, as both Nigerian and Greek (like tons of people with dual citizenships)

So maybe Ujiri should cool it with the 'he's not Greek at all" talk
Hate it when a third party talks for someone else on stuff like that

[old skool]

Antetokounmpo and his brothers were all born in Greece. They never knew anything but Greek life until they moved to Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo reportedly values Nigerian culture handed down by his parents, but his life has been Greece and America.

Despite being born in Greece, Antetokounmpo spent most of his life in citizenship limbo. It was not until he became semi-prominent as a basketball player that he was granted Greek citizenship and a Greek passport.

I don't understand the narrative that Ujiri has "helped" Giannis. Giannis owes more of his success to help that he received from his European and current agents and John Hammond and Jon Horst. He has also been helped by Jason Kidd, Sean Sweeney and Kobe Bryant. What has Ujiri done?

[Jazz9]

who cares

Giannis admires and respects him. He wants to win a title. Hopefully the Bucks can take the next step cuz I wouldn't want Masai in a room with Giannis in July 2021.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using RealGM mobile app

This is nothing more than Toronto fans grasping onto straws. It's not happening. Toronto fans want to make Masai into this father figure and confidant when it's just not the case.

Raps fans pile on Clipfansince98 any chance they get for talking about Kawhi but have no issue when it's about signing another team's superstar

[KrAzY3]

Then why the hell did his family move to Greece?

You identify as Greek to show respect to your new home, his family left Nigeria for a reason...

[NoDopeOnSundays]

What has Ujiri done?

He helped Giannis' family get Greek citizenship.


Giannis has said Masai is an unbelievable person and he cares about him....

[skones]

Giannis admires and respects him. He wants to win a title. Hopefully the Bucks can take the next step cuz I wouldn't want Masai in a room with Giannis in July 2021.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using RealGM mobile app

This is nothing more than Toronto fans grasping onto straws. It's not happening.

You sound almost as confident as during the ECF. Almost.

it u but k

[tdotrep2]

All this is is masai starting the recruiting process early, don't get to caught up in all this other stuff

[Throwback24]

who cares

Giannis admires and respects him. He wants to win a title. Hopefully the Bucks can take the next step cuz I wouldn't want Masai in a room with Giannis in July 2021.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using RealGM mobile app

This is nothing more than Toronto fans grasping onto straws. It's not happening. Toronto fans want to make Masai into this father figure and confidant when it's just not the case.

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1841211&p=75469038#p75469038

Toronto fans have been known to grasp at straws, witness the Raptors trouncing on the 'best team in the East', and putting on COMPETITIVE FINALS.

And..... they've also been known to escrow funds.

[bulletbill]

"Nigerian Freak" does not have a very good ring to it.

with Christian Okoye's blessing I hereby propose: "Next Nigerian Nightmare" aka NIII

( "III" also symolizes the Greek columns)

[Dzon Dilindzer]

giannis identifies himself as a nigerian and theres nothing wrong with that, but giannis is born in greece and by that hes also a greek, so he can identify himself as nigerian all he wants, people can call him a greek and rightfully so... maybe ujiri identifies himself as nigerian, but hes also born elsewhere, in england to be precise

and if ujiri dont like being called englishman, then theres something wrong with him... anyway, really ignorant remark by him

[will]

This is nothing more than Toronto fans grasping onto straws. It's not happening.

You sound almost as confident as during the ECF. Almost.

it u but k

Or desperately grasping for the 3rd win in the ECF...double OT...?



Had to throw that in there.

[BillTheGOAT]

Thats tampering