He was cute and he would not give up. That’s how a lanky kid selling trinkets in the streets of Athens made enough money to help his poor family. Today, Giannis Antetokounmpo is far from poor but still has that childhood persistence propelling him to NBA stardom. The Milwaukee Bucks’ 23-year-old superstar talks to Steve Kroft on the next edition of 60 Minutes, Sunday, March 25 at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT on CBS.
Antetokounmpo, or as he is called, the “Greek Freak,” is nearly seven feet tall and can play all positions because he is gifted with athleticism rarely seen in big men. He’s averaging 27 points a game and earned the most all-star votes from his NBA peers. In the public all-star voting, the only player to finish ahead of Antetokounmpo was the NBA’s reigning king, LeBron James.
He tells Kroft his success comes from his dogged persistence honed as a child street hawker. “I was the best [salesman]. I was really good at it.” It was out of necessity. He and his brother sold items like glasses and watches on the streets to help their parents, who as Nigerian immigrants, had no papers and could not get work. “I didn’t give up,” he tells Kroft, adding that being young and cute helped.
Asked if he was still like that, Antetokounmpo replies, “Persistent in life? I think yes. I am. I’m going to do something until I get it right,” he says.
Antetokounmpo is still trying to get it right, despite the spectacular plays he makes and the fat stats he’s putting up. Asked if he thinks he’s going to get even better, he replies, “I have to. There’s not a choice. I’m really scared of failing. So I’ve got to get better.”
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