Always Remember Where You Came From: Giannis' Journey to Triumph

Passion, sacrifice, dedication, devotion, commitment, and upbringing. When thinking about professional athletes and the tremendous accomplishments throughout their careers, these specific words always come to mind. The passion to pursue their legacy, the sacrifice to make it to the highest level, the dedication to continuously improve themselves, the devotion of being a team player, the commitment of prioritizing the sport in every aspect of life and the upbringing to always highlight and focus in on the athletes’ culture and heritage to be able to turn back proudly on where they came from and how their upbringing played a pivotal role in where they currently are today.

The importance of heritage, culture and upbringing came to the forefront when Giannis Antetokoumpo and the Milwaukee Bucks won the 2021 NBA championship over the summer. In reflecting upon a memorable Tokyo Olympics which occurred almost at the same exact time as the NBA finals, we are continuously reminded of how deep the passion can be for specific athletes in their fulfillment of their life-long dream of representing their country at the most prominent, star-studded level playing the sport that they love.

Beyond an international event, the Olympic Games symbolizes the valuable opportunity for us to be able to learn about specific athletes, their unique stories, and, most importantly, their upbringing, to help understand where they have been in efforts to get to where they are now. This summer, these special stories came from the basketball court, with Giannis Antetokounmpo taking the world by storm and leading the Milwaukee Bucks to become 2021 NBA Champions.

When Giannis was 18 years old, Giannis pointed to the framed jerseys hanging from the ceiling of an arena in Milwaukee, next to a large green championship banner with the year 1971 stitched onto it in big white letters, mentioning that he hoped one day that would be him. Although he was young, new to the country and not acclimated to the culture, he was always willing to set his sights high. In the eight years that passed, it is incredible to think about how far he has come, and about how much growth – as both a player and a person – and perseverance it has taken him to reach the place where he sits now, which can best be described as King of the NBA World, ending his team’s 50-year title draught and becoming the third player in NBA history to have won an MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Finals MVP.

As Head of Sports and Entertainment for Rockefeller Capital Management, I have the honor of working with athletes and entertainers to assist in achieving their financial goals and objectives, considering financial and non-financial assets alike, while also following their memorable journeys well above and beyond their careers. Athletes like Giannis embody the ultimate depiction of strength, relentlessness, and unmatched will to go against the grain and make it happen for him and his team when no one believed that he could. The tenacious qualities of an athlete make them unique, and there are so many similarities that I see in the athletes whom I work with, to ensure that they have access to valuable resources on financial literacy as well as access to best-in-class investment vehicles to assist in optimizing and preserving their wealth, well above and beyond their athletic careers. The ability to relate has tremendous power in creating, enhancing and strengthening meaningful relationships with professional athletes. I played professional basketball overseas in Greece, and I remember how grateful I was for the opportunity to represent my country and highlight my upbringing, similar to how Giannis does every day.

The achievements continue to pour in, as Giannis recently publicized that he will be playing for the country of Greece at the Eurobasket next September. Although Greece ended up being one game short of qualifying for the recent Tokyo Olympics over this summer, it is evident to see that Giannis is overjoyed to be representing his country, and with Giannis in their lineup, Greece may become one of the favorites of the 2022 Eurobasket tournament. The NBA trophy also made its way through many iconic landmarks in Greece, as Giannis’ ultimate goal, having been born from immigrant parents, is to bring it all back to where it began.

Ultimately, the meaning of victory is much greater for Giannis than just on the court. It stems off the court and brings it all right back to heritage and the importance of upbringing. Many athletes tend to get lost in the sudden fame and lump sums of money that come with winning championships and beaming in the spotlight at the highest stage. Giannis has done a tremendous job of breaking the mold in his proud moments of highlighting his Greek culture and providing humble appreciation to his family, support system, and ultimately, his country. One thing is for certain, as Alexander McCall Smith once said, “it is imperative to remember where you came from and celebrate it. To remember where you came from is part of where you are going.”