The Greek twins Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo, who last month led the Milawaukee Bucks to their first NBA title in half a century, pledged to return with their trophy to their childhood home of Sepolia, a dilapidated neighborhood in Athens.

The Antetokounmpo brothers, who were born in Greece to Nigerian immigrants, struggled to make ends meet by selling trinkets on the street. They were afraid of being deported as children, and it wasn’t until 2013 that they became Greek citizens.

While visiting Athens with his brother, Giannis told a news conference, “I am very, very happy that one of the biggest trophies in the world is in Greece right now.”

It’s an amazing phenomenon. We’re not sure how long we’ll be here, but we’re eager to return to Sepolia and our childhood homes.”

Known as “the Greek Freak” at times, Giannis was the most dominant player in the series against the Phoenix Suns in the finals, scoring 50 points in the last game and taking home the MVP title. In accordance with COVID-19 protocols, Thanasis was compelled to miss the remaining two games.

In Greece, where basketball typically lags behind football in popularity, the brothers’ incredible ascent from Sepolia to the NBA has captured the attention of the entire country.

A huge mural of Giannis in his Milwaukee Bucks jersey, located across the court where he and his brothers practiced and played, is evidence of the pride felt in his accomplishments in their former neighborhood, which is rarely highlighted in the media.

“This trip has been insane. “I’d say you’re crazy if you told me eight years ago that Thanasis and I would be in this situation, with the NBA trophy with us, and that we could take it anywhere we wanted,” he remarked.

But we’ve worked hard to achieve it all, and we haven’t stopped. We continue as a family. Our parents never stopped working to provide for us, and we witnessed this throughout our lives when we returned home from practice or school.