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

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

Post#101 » by wayoftheroad » Tue Jun 25, 2019 5:18 pm

TheBoi10 wrote:Masai bringing his son Giannis home

https://theundefeated.com/features/bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-greek-freak-wants-to-go-back-to-his-nigerian-roots/amp/
“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.”


Thread Over. Cant believe none of you guys remember this quote from Giannis himself. He identifies as Nigerian.
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Re: Masai Ujiri: Giannis is not Greek, he's Nigerian 

Post#102 » by BramptonYute » Tue Jun 25, 2019 5:18 pm

TheBoi10 wrote:Masai bringing his son Giannis home

https://theundefeated.com/features/bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-greek-freak-wants-to-go-back-to-his-nigerian-roots/amp/
“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.”
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Re: Masai Ujiri: Giannis is not Greek, he's Nigerian 

Post#103 » by JayMKE » Tue Jun 25, 2019 5:20 pm

Toronto can't even retain their finals MVP stop fantasizing about signing Giannis lmao ;-)
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Re: Masai Ujiri: Giannis is not Greek, he's Nigerian 

Post#104 » by SeniorWalker » Tue Jun 25, 2019 5:20 pm

By the way this entire story is unquestionably being fueled behind the scenes by the NBA wanting to expand its presence in Africa. Giannis is going to be their golden boy going forward and they want the game to be global. That's how they will surpass the NFL.

Like Giannis but that's obviously what this is to me. People are talking to him and pointing him to say the right things, without question. I'm sure these feelings of his are legitimate but this is marketing.
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Re: Masai Ujiri: Giannis is not Greek, he's Nigerian 

Post#105 » by Yuri Vaultin » Tue Jun 25, 2019 5:23 pm

Saciid11 wrote:
TheBoi10 wrote:Masai bringing his son Giannis home

https://theundefeated.com/features/bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-greek-freak-wants-to-go-back-to-his-nigerian-roots/amp/
“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.”



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

Post#106 » by Drou » Tue Jun 25, 2019 5:25 pm

I slowly start to dislike this Ujiri dude he's all over the place and full of himself. Nobody asked you ****
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Re: Masai Ujiri: Giannis is not Greek, he's Nigerian 

Post#107 » by Bird4Three » Tue Jun 25, 2019 5:28 pm

“Nigerian Slammer” certainly doesn’t have any negative connotations
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Re: Masai Ujiri: Giannis is not Greek, he's Nigerian 

Post#108 » by Jazz9 » Tue Jun 25, 2019 5:30 pm

Again lol at some raptors fans already thinking of getting Giannis in 2021
Other fans can't even post about signing Kawhi without a horde of raps fans coming at their throats but getting someone else's superstar, who's still under contract for 2 years, is fair game it seems
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Re: Masai Ujiri: Giannis is not Greek, he's Nigerian 

Post#109 » by CIN-C-STAR » Tue Jun 25, 2019 5:31 pm

I honestly don't care because it doesn't affect me whatsoever, but I did find it weird how in the same interview Ujiri says his children are Canadian, but Giannis isn't Greek.

Whatever Giannis wants to identify as is cool with me, but Nigerian-Greek seems like it's probably the most accurate. Doesn't have to be either-or.
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Re: Masai Ujiri: Giannis is not Greek, he's Nigerian 

Post#110 » by Winsome Gerbil » Tue Jun 25, 2019 5:32 pm

Did he ever actually live in Nigeria?

Parentage is irrelevant. "Race" is a myth, a social construct. But if he was born and raised in Nigeria, that's different.

Also dangerous btw. It's exactly the same argument ethno-nationalists would use to deny him equal status as a Greek citizen.
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Re: Masai Ujiri: Giannis is not Greek, he's Nigerian 

Post#111 » by 6ixSideSniper » Tue Jun 25, 2019 5:34 pm

It's just a matter of national pride.

It's no different from a Mexican-American being claimed as Mexican while also being American. Both are correct. If you ask Andy Ruiz fans, Mexicans will say he's Mexican while Americans will also gladly claim him as one of their own. Anthony Joshua is Nigerian but represents England. You can say he's British and you're right while you can also call him Nigerian and you'll also be correct.

Maybe it's because i'm from Toronto, and everyone i grew up with identifies as being Canadian but we're all of different skin colors and racial backgrounds. I've never seen a conflict in considering yourself Canadian and whatever your native ethnic country is.
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Re: Masai Ujiri: Giannis is not Greek, he's Nigerian 

Post#112 » by Winsome Gerbil » Tue Jun 25, 2019 5:34 pm

wayoftheroad wrote:
TheBoi10 wrote:Masai bringing his son Giannis home

https://theundefeated.com/features/bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-greek-freak-wants-to-go-back-to-his-nigerian-roots/amp/
“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.”


Thread Over. Cant believe none of you guys remember this quote from Giannis himself. He identifies as Nigerian.


That's not the way it works. You don't carry your original country with you forever generation after generation or get to randomly pick one off the map, and say "this is how I identify". Just means his parent s have failed to assimilate. THEY are Nigerian.
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Re: Masai Ujiri: Giannis is not Greek, he's Nigerian 

Post#113 » by Pet Poeltl » Tue Jun 25, 2019 5:35 pm

How does this work exactly? Here in Canada I went to school with a bunch of people who "my grandpa was born in Italy, I'm Italian." "My great great grandfather was born in Portugal, I'm Portuguese." etc... despite being born in Canada. It's kind of irrelevant because I don't care but isn't it...no you're Greek but with Nigerian heritage?
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Re: Masai Ujiri: Giannis is not Greek, he's Nigerian 

Post#114 » by The Flying Gent » Tue Jun 25, 2019 5:38 pm

Giannis didn't have Greek Citizenship until he was 18+, and i can almost guaran **** tee you he was considered Nigerian while growing up.
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Re: Masai Ujiri: Giannis is not Greek, he's Nigerian 

Post#115 » by jamalkandur » Tue Jun 25, 2019 5:45 pm

Forte IV wrote: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 exactly, United States is the nation immigrants Greece is not a immigrant country what's more is not a immigrant friendly country, immigrants are unwelcome there, his family had to lived on the streets without food for years, nobody helped them or gave a job, even though he's born in Greece, they didn't provide any papers for him so he lived stateless until 18 years old, he self-learned basketball in playgrounds . After Greek Basketball Assosiation scouts discovered him, then all of sudden Greece gave him and his family citizenships. So definetelly Greece did not contribute much to help him to be a great athlete, the great genes were the reason. So whenever i hear the "greek" freak it's cringes me, he's not Greek he's 100% African.


From Wikipedia: "Like many other immigrants to Greece, his parents struggled to find work. Antetokounmpo and his older brother, Thanasis, helped out by hawking items such as watches, bags and sunglasses. In 2007 Antetokounmpo started playing basketball, For the first 18 years of his life Antetokounmpo was effectively stateless, having no papers from Nigeria or Greece..."

From New York Times: "He is known as the Greek Freak, a basketball player of such transcendent ability that he has become celebrated as the face of the country of his birth. Yet for most of his life growing up in Greece, Giannis Antetokounmpo was considered a foreigner. As the son of African immigrants, he was perpetually vulnerable to attacks by racist militants, and to threats of deportation to Nigeria, a country he had never visited."
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Re: Masai Ujiri: Giannis is not Greek, he's Nigerian 

Post#116 » by Hoodwink » Tue Jun 25, 2019 6:02 pm

LOL this is some low key stealth tampering by Masai. Kawhi might leave this year or the next, but Masai is really gunning for Giannis.
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Re: Masai Ujiri: Giannis is not Greek, he's Nigerian 

Post#117 » by Richard Miller » Tue Jun 25, 2019 6:07 pm

jamalkandur wrote:
Forte IV wrote: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 exactly, United States is the nation immigrants Greece is not a immigrant country what's more is not a immigrant friendly country, immigrants are unwelcome there, his family had to lived on the streets without food for years, nobody helped them or gave a job, even though he's born in Greece, they didn't provide any papers for him so he lived stateless until 18 years old, he self-learned basketball in playgrounds


^^This.
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Re: Masai Ujiri: Giannis is not Greek, he's Nigerian 

Post#118 » by Drou » Tue Jun 25, 2019 6:09 pm

Pet Poeltl wrote:How does this work exactly? Here in Canada I went to school with a bunch of people who "my grandpa was born in Italy, I'm Italian." "My great great grandfather was born in Portugal, I'm Portuguese." etc... despite being born in Canada. It's kind of irrelevant because I don't care but isn't it...no you're Greek but with Nigerian heritage?


Well... he's both Nigerian and Greek. He has stated that he feels more Nigerian than Greek so I take his word for it. But denying the fact that he's at least - to a degree - Greek is ignorant. Nationalities are a piece of paper, culture is what counts the most and Giannis clearly adopted a lot of local cultural traits while growing up here (I've seen him countless times on tv, he's a superstar over here and dude acts and speaks like an authentic Greek).
By the way I couldn't care less, I have 0 bias in this, I don't automatically root for athletes of my nationality.
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Re: Masai Ujiri: Giannis is not Greek, he's Nigerian 

Post#119 » by OrlChamps2030 » Tue Jun 25, 2019 6:10 pm

kodo wrote:
BlazersBroncos wrote:IDK, it seems sorta low key douchy of someone to not adopt the nationality of a country that granted you a better life.


It was Greece who wouldn't adopt Giannis' family, not the other way around.

Until recently, even the children of African immigrants who were born here found it difficult to secure legal residency, let alone citizenship. Their stateless status denied them national health care, Civil Service jobs and access to sports leagues. Antetokounmpo only gained Greek citizenship six years ago — just as he was about to go to New York for the N.B.A. draft.

“He was given Greek citizenship in order to prevent him from traveling to New York as a Nigerian,” said Nikos Odubitan, the founder of Generation 2.0, an advocacy group that helps second-generation immigrants gain legal status in Greece.

- NY Times


This is important for context. Much different situation than being born to immigrant parents in the US.

Not to mention the racism that African refugees and their children can face in Greece.

If he wishes to identify as Nigerian, all the more power to him.
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Re: Masai Ujiri: Giannis is not Greek, he's Nigerian 

Post#120 » by Ree4erMadness » Tue Jun 25, 2019 6:11 pm

Panic610 wrote: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.

Comment is so slept on its not even funny.
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