Giannis Antetokounmpo, once again an NBA MVP candidate, didn’t go to college. He played basketball in Greece before he was selected in the 2013 NBA Draft.
Even though Antetokounmpo never played in the NCAA, he and his family are still huge on giving back whenever possible. So it was not shocking to learn that the two-time MVP was working on a campaign surrounding the upcoming March Madness tournament.
The Bucks superstar partnered with the aptly-titled deodorant company Degree® to launch the Degree Walk-On Program.
They will provide five college basketball walk-ons, who do not have athletic scholarships, with NIL deals that provide the financial support needed to help them continue playing in the NCAA and eventually earn their college degree.
Four of the walk-ons were already selected: Andre Johnson Jr. (UCONN), Lauren Zwetzig (Notre Dame), Ronnie Porter (Wisconsin), and Spencer Hubbard (Duke).
The fifth walk-on will earn a selection based on nominations (which you can do here) received between March 9-19. The winner will be honored during the men’s Final Four in Houston.
Antetokounmpo recently caught up with For The Win over Zoom for a heartful conversation to discuss college basketball, charity, his family, and more.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
For this specific campaign, do you relate to the journey of a walk-on?
Giannis: It’s kind of the same. It’s kind of authentic to me. I’m always about improving every single day. Since the day I got to the league, I’ve tried to improve every single day. I wasn’t a lottery pick. I wasn’t the guy that people were talking about. There were so many great players ahead of me. But I wasn’t going to stop. I was going to keep improving. I just wanted to have the opportunity. I took advantage of it. I kept working. I stayed ready. I listened to my coaches. I became a student of the game.
Each day I got better and I’m in the position that I’m in today. I want to give opportunities to give walk-ons to do the same. They want to be a part of something great. It was a no-brainer to join forces. Degree is giving an opportunity for more kids to be great and accomplish their dreams and goals and reach their potential. It’s great. That’s how my story was.
Do you ever wish you had the opportunity to play college basketball?
Giannis: That’s a really good question, actually. I do think about it a lot. You see all these college players when they make it to the league, they talk about their experience and how fun it was, and how different the environment was for them. I came to the NBA when I was 18. I didn’t have the opportunity to experience being around classmates: Lift weights in the morning, go to class, then go to practice, and see all the fans at the game. I did not have the chance to experience that. I came immediately here. So I would definitely have wanted to go to college and have that experience. When I was 15, I was “highly recruited” by Old Dominion. That was my only offer.
Was there a program or coach you wish you could have played for?
Giannis: Definitely Duke. I like Duke because of the players that came out of that program. You usually see a lot of four men that don’t fit the mold. I think I’m one of those guys. I’m 6’11” and I can handle the ball and pass and get in the paint. You see players like that who came out of that program: Zion Williamson, Jabari Parker, Jayson Tatum, and Brandon Ingram. Not only are they very good basketball-wise but academically it’s also a great school.
You talk about goals. What else do you personally want to accomplish?
Giannis: I’m not done. I believe I have a long way to go. I try to work on my craft every single day. I want people to remember me not for the things I’ve accomplished on the court but for my attitude toward the game and my work ethic. I want people to remember me as more than just a basketball player. I want people to remember how I made people feel along this journey and if I inspired them to be better.
But for me, I want to enjoy the game as much as I can. I know when I enjoy the game, I’m at my best. I know, throughout this journey, I’m only halfway. I know that I’m going to accomplish more things by enjoying the game of basketball. The more you enjoy the game, the more you will go out there and play hard for your teammates and put them in a position to win another title. I don’t try to set high expectations, though. I only want to enjoy the game. I want to underpromise and overachieve. I just want to enjoy the game. If I do that, I’m going to be in a great spot for the city of Milwaukee and for the fans around the world who have supported me.
What are some other things the Charles Antetokounmpo Family Foundation is doing?
Giannis: This foundation is something that is very close to my heart. It’s in honor of my dad. My dad was one of the poorest people in the world. But he never felt like it. He felt like he was the richest person in the world because he had us. We were his legacy. My mom and my dad did all they could to provide for us every single day. This is our duty. My parents poured so much into us and shaped us and molded us into the men that we are today. I’m proud of how my brothers and I approach the world. We try to give back in any way we can. I’m very happy that there are people around the world who want to help us with that journey to impact the world. You can’t change the world, but you can try to make it a better place.
We try to give back to the community as much as we can in Milwaukee, Nigeria and Greece. At the end of the day, there were a lot of people along the way who helped me to be in the position that I’m in today. A lot of people stretched their hands and I was able to grab their hands, which helped me and my parents. We are trying to do the same thing. We want to give the youth the opportunity to be great and accomplish their potential, no matter what it is. It does not have to be basketball. We just want to be there and allow them to use us as a stepping stone in their journey. We have a big platform and we want to use it to give back. We get so caught up in our heads about what we have to do and what we have to accomplish that we forget how to give back. I’m going to take advantage of this opportunity and this platform that I’ve been blessed with and better the world, impact people, inspire people and give people the opportunity to accomplish their goals in life.
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