Nigerian-born basketball star Giannis Sina Ugo Antetokounmpo, in collaboration with WhatsApp, has released a documentary on his return to his roots in Nigeria titled “Ugo: A Homecoming Story.”
In the documentary, the Milwaukee Bucks star heads to the country of his birth to discover where his story started, and reconnect with his family members and his multicultural heritage.
“The Greek freak,” as he is known in NBA circles, says on his return, “It was a great and humbling experience for me. I had the opportunity to go to a couple places, interact with people, and talk to kids. I was like, yeah, now I know why I operate the way I operate. Now I know who I am, the way I am, because I’m just like one of them.”
On coming back to Nigeria in the future, he said “It’s going to be an annual thing now. My kids are young, maybe they won’t be able to make the trip to understand where we’re from, and for them to be able to ask the right questions, but I’m going again. I want to take my wife there. And as my kids get older, I want to take my kids there too.
“I want them to understand what sacrifice my parents made in order for us to be able to do what we do, live our dream, and be in the position that we are today.”
The 2021 NBA champion also visited Tarkwa Bay, Rowe Park, and Nabu Nigeria, and at the end of the documentary, talked about the importance of knowing who you are.
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