Giannis Antetokounmpo on being raised without papers, going up against LeBron, and being named MVP

Giannis talks about his life as an undocumented immigrant growing up and his big goals to play in the NBA.

In 2013, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was 18 at the time, finished a season for a second-level Greek pro team in which he scored 9.5 points and 5 rebounds per game. The numbers aren’t exactly. Still, the Milwaukee Bucks picked Antetokounmpo with the 15th overall pick in that year’s NBA draft. They thought that the thin, 6’11” son of undocumented Nigerian immigrants to Greece could one day develop all-around skills that would make him similar to, say, Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant.

Milwaukee’s has turned around the small-market team’s luck. The Bucks slapped Antetokounmpo four years ago. Now, the man known as the Greek Freak is on his way to joining Durant, LeBron James, Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden as the “best player on the planet.” Antetokounmpo was the first player in NBA history to finish in the top 20 in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks all in the same season.

Antetokounmpo, one of TIME’s 2017 Next Generation Leaders, talked about his unlikely rise to the top of the NBA, the lessons he’s learned along the way, and his career goals, which include winning a title and being named MVP. The interview took place at the Bucks’ brand-new training complex in downtown Milwaukee. The 2016–17 season starts on Wednesday, when the Bucks play the Boston Celtics in Boston.