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

[will]

"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)

Imagine being a linebacker trying to stop Christian coming through the line. Yikes!

[r0drig0lac]

so amazing

[skones]

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



Had to throw that in there.

Weird that you'd want to acquire a total loser then. Wow, what a trash player.

[JAYZGOAT]

Anyone can look at Giannis and see that he is not Greek. Only difference between Giannis and Black Americans is he knows where he comes from.

[old skool]

What has Ujiri done?

He helped Giannis' family get Greek citizenship.


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

How did a non-Greek help the Antetokounmpo family obtain Greek citizenship? Obviously, they only obtained citizenship after Giannis became a famous basketball player. What did Ujiri do to help?

Antetokounmpo might respect Ujiri, but I don't see how that respect could ever carry more weight in a free agency decision than the close working relationships he has had with Kidd, Hammond and Sweeney. The assertion that Antetokounmpo might be inclined to one day sign with Toronto because of a casual relationship with Ujiri ignores just how far down the list Ujiri is among those who have worked with Giannis. Would Ujiri even be on such a list?

[XxIronChainzxX]

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.

One, it's literally not the equivalent of that because his parents are Nigerians from Nigeria who came as adults. Your example doesn't work.

Two, he was stateless for a while. That's pretty different. Giannis clearly identifies as Greek - at least publicly - but that's different I think from what Masai is saying.

Giannis identifies as Nigerian before Greek

I haven't seen him publicly saying that. I'm taking your word for it I just find it interesting.

[neo515]

It's pretty pathetic to see so many people trying to "claim" a person now that they're a huge success. Every black person in Europe and the US is ethnically African. Some are first generation immigrants while others can't even trace a particular country of origin. The ones who emigrated to Europe by choice did so for a reason, and in obtaining citizenship accepted their new country as their homeland. Having ethnic origins from elsewhere is not that uncommon; it's just more easily observable if you're of a different race. People trying to claim Giannis as Nigerian are only doing other African immigrants a disservice in ever being accepted as European.

[15Years]

The overreactions in this thread are hilarious by those mad at masai.

[GusT15]

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?

Before any Greek shows up offended and starts taking shots at Giannis cause of something Masai said-out of place,without reason and just to push his own political/ethnic/Giants of Africa aspirations.
This is a video of 3 weeks ago where Giannis and his brothers talk about food.

I repeat,this is for any Greek that may get offended.Watch the vid and you'll realize Giannis is just as Greek as the kid living down your street in Athens.So are his brothers.

Let Masai say whatever the hell he wants to.Enjoy Giannis for what he is (and that is both Greek and Nigerian) and an amazing human being.

Watch on YouTube

[KrAzY3]

Anyone can look at Giannis and see that he is not Greek. Only difference between Giannis and Black Americans is he knows where he comes from.

Ok so now we're at the point where every black person living in Greece is not considered Greek?

It's all racial nationality and that's it? That's messed up.

You're either a part of the country where you live or you're not. If you're born in America for instance, you're American. That's what the law says and if you don't want to be American, you can leave and go some other place. But the idea that race supersedes everything else is honestly racist.

[Matty]

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



Had to throw that in there.

Weird that you'd want to acquire a total loser then. Wow, what a trash player.

What he is saying is that he'd make a great Pippen to our MJ

[everdiso]

only one solution to this:

Watch on YouTube

[ThunderBolt]

Counter point- who cares?

[JAYZGOAT]

Anyone can look at Giannis and see that he is not Greek. Only difference between Giannis and Black Americans is he knows where he comes from.

Ok so now we're at the point where every black person living in Greece is not considered Greek?

It's all racial nationality and that's it? That's messed up.

You're either a part of the country where you live or you're not. If you're born in America for instance, you're American. That's what the law says and if you don't want to be American, you can leave and go some other place. But the idea that race supersedes everything else is honestly racist.

I didn't make the rules of society. I am just aware of them and have to live in it. For centuries America has been denying that blacks are even human, let alone Americans. Even today blacks are still treated as 3rd class citizens in their "own country". I just find it hilarious that people rush to claim and protect blacks whenever they are doing anything entertaining or accomplish something but won't support us in issues that affect our daily lives. I am American, but certain aspects of society remind me that I am not American and I am not wanted here. I am sure that there is racism against blacks /Africans in Greece, if Giannis wasn't the prominent figure he was, do you think Greece would be so proud of him and would give him support? History says otherwise.

[XxIronChainzxX]

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

As others have covered in this thread that isn't actually how Greek citizenship works. It's not birthright. It's a weird debating to be having, but people shouldn't confuse legal citizenship with the culture one identifies with - though all of that being said I do think Masai shouldn't be speaking for Giannis.

[Matty]

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.

It's totally not equivalent

His parents arrived there, not his grandparents. 2nd generation and 3rd generation is not the same.

Also his parents weren't recognized as citizens until he made it big in Greece.

[ThatBoyNick]

Guys, he’s a Nigerian Greek. It doesn’t have to be either or. People combine their ethnicity with their nationality all the time.

How many Americans say they are Italian American, or Mexican American or Vietnamese American or whatever the hell you can think of.

Most of all, none of this **** really matters, he’s a human.... well... **** kind of maybe human.

[Jazz9]

Let Masai say whatever the hell he wants to

He shouldn't speak for someone else though
I have dual citizenship too, heard the same stuff as Giannis ("you're not this, you're that"/"you're not that, you're this") and honestly **** anyone trying to tell me what I am or am not

[Saints14]

I just need to know if I can make ridiculous comparisons to Giannis for European big man prospects or African big man prospects

[13th Man]

I think Masai just wants to lump Giannis as one of his 10 Embiids.