SUMMARY
- Charles Antetokounmpo was born on August 3, 1963, in Nigeria before migrating to Greece in 1991. Charles was reportedly born in the Nigerian ethnic group known as Yoruba.
- Charles Antetokounmpo was a professional soccer player who played in Nigeria.
While Giannis Antetokounmpo has made his name in the NBA, not much is known about his father Charles Antetokounmpo. Playing for the Milwaukee Bucks since 2013, Giannis has managed to establish himself as one of the best basketball players in the world. However, let us take a look at the two-time NBA MVP’s father and his life.
Charles Antetokounmpo was born on August 3, 1963, in Nigeria before migrating to Greece in 1991. Charles was reportedly born in the Nigerian ethnic group known as Yoruba. He met his wife, Veronica, in Nigeria and they got married and had their first son Francis in Nigeria. Before moving to Athens, Greece in 1991, Charles and Veronica left Francis in the care of his grandfather in Nigeria.
Charles and Veronica had their four other children- Thanasis, Giannis, Kostas, and Alex- with all of them being born and brought up in Athens. Among all of their five children, Giannis has had the brightest career so far. However, the Milwaukee Bucks star hails from a sports-loving family, with both Charles and Veronica having a professional career of their own.
According to reports, Charles Antetokounmpo was a professional soccer player who played in Nigeria. Moreover, Giannis’ mother Veronica Antetokounmpo was an ex-athlete and used to be a professional high jumper. Unfortunately, both Charles and Veronica had to sacrifice their professional careers for the sake of their children after they moved to Europe.
The soccer career and achievements of Charles Antetokounmpo
While there’s not much information available about Charles Antetokounmpo, the reports indicate that he used to play professional soccer in Nigeria. There’s little to no information about where Charles used to play or whether he had won any major honors. However, the only information available is that Charles brought an end to his soccer career after moving to Greece.
Charles Antetokounmpo (birth name spelled Adetokunbo) was a former Nigerian soccer player and the father of #2021NBAChampion Milwaukee Bucks , Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis also has brothers Thanasis, and Kostas all playing for Bucks. Charles died in 2017. #Giannis pic.twitter.com/E796IhGzaX
— Daddy Bella 🇺🇦 (@Shegelee) July 21, 2021
While almost all of Charles’ sons have played or play basketball, it’s reported that his eldest son Francis used to play soccer in Greece. In addition to this, Charles has been immortalized in a Disney movie made a few years ago. Back in 2020, Disney+ released the movie ‘Rise’ based on the journey of the Antetokounmpo family from rags to riches.
How did Giannis’ father die?
Unfortunately, disaster struck the Antetokounmpo family in 2017 when Charles passed away. According to reports, Charles suffered a heart attack on September 29, 2017, and he breathed his last. Giannis, who was very close to his father, later admitted that he was proud of his father. He said, “We loved our dad. My mom loved her husband. But at the end of the day, I think, he did what he was supposed to do in this world.”
Giannis officially launches the Charles Antetokounmpo Family Foundation✅ pic.twitter.com/DrvpXJpRKZ
— IKE Bucks Podcast (@IKE_Bucks) August 3, 2022
The 2021 NBA Champion further admitted that while his family was grief-stricken, they are trying to move on. Giannis and his family also started the Charles Antetokounmpo Family Foundation shortly after his father’s death. The Foundation aims to help athletes, widows, refugees, immigrants, and other weak sections of society by working with and supporting organizations like the Milwaukee Diaper Mission and the International Rescue Committee.