Two-time NBA MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, started life wanting to play football and grew up as an Arsenal supporter.
![Giannis Antetokounmpo reveals he is an Arsenal fan 1 Giannis Antetokounmpo slams over Atlanta Hawks guard Lou Williams during the 2nd quarter in game 3 of the NBA, Basketball Herren, USA Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday, June 27, 2021, in Atlanta. Atlanta USA - Copyright: Curtis Compton](https://dailycannon.com/static/uploads/2021/07/1003325633-e1626954944521.jpg)
On Tuesday night, Giannis Antetokounmpo helped Milwaukee Bucks complete their comeback to win the NBA finals with a performance that stood miles above his teammates. “Giannis produced a masterpiece against the Phoenix Suns,” declared the Guardian as they went on to note his evening that involved, “Fifty points. Fourteen rebounds. Five (!) blocks. Seventeen-of-19 from the line. Hellacious defence. Violent attacks to the rim. He was everywhere and did everything for his team. As close-out performances go, it ranks among the finest in NBA finals history.”
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But it could have all been so different had he followed his first love instead.
“I am really very interested in football,” Antetokounmpo said. “When I was younger I was even an Arsenal supporter. My father played football, I myself played club football from my 9 to 12 years old, then at 12 and a half, I switched to basketball.
“When I grew up in Greece, I wanted to become a football player, that’s what interested me above all.”
Born in Athens at the end of 1994, Antetokounmpo won back-to-back NBA Most Valuable Player Awards in 2019 and 2020, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James as the only players in NBA history to win two MVPs before turning 26.