Giannis Antetokounmpo: Immigrant of the Day (Reprise)

Giannis Antetokounmpo, photo by Keith Allison

We featured NBA player Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks) as our "immigrant of the day" once before -- back in February. Today, he gets a reprise, thanks to this fascinating article from the NYT: Giannis Antetokounmpo Is the Pride of a Greece That Shunned Him.

Antetokounmpo was born in Greece. But because his parents were immigrants from Nigeria, he wasn't granted Greek citizenship until he was eighteen and heading into the NBA.

The NYT article explores the chasm between Greece's current enthusiasm for Antetokounmpo, an unquestionable athletic standout, and the country's general distaste for African migrants (and their children). As one Greek-African told the paper: "the same person cheering Giannis could swear at me on the road."

-KitJ