Giannis Antetokounmpo’s stellar basketball skills have experts eyeing him as a contender for 2019 NBA Most Valuable Player.
In the eyes of Wisconsinites, though, the Greek Freak is already MVP — of our hearts.
Here are nine reasons the people of Wisconsin love Giannis so much that have nothing to do with the on-court success and everything to do with his personality.
He melts hearts in postgame interviews
Giannis answered reporters’ questions after a game this February while holding a baby, and Twitter went crazy.
“Giannis for president,” one Twitter user said. “Giannis is for the children,” another said. But a third user summed it up best: “Greek Freakin’ adorable.”
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Giannis gives his entire postgame interview holding a baby: pic.twitter.com/oZmVvELdL9
Baby Cadence is the daughter of Bucks head athletic trainer Scott Faust, and as Journal Sentinel Bucks reporter Matt Velazquez tweeted at the time, Giannis often plays with Cadence in the locker room after games.
Giannis loves the kids, and the kids love Giannis
He shared a sweet moment with a grateful young artist at a March meet-and-greet, and a video of the interaction went viral.
The video shows the moment 11-year-old Lily presented him with a folder full of art she made him. Lily began to cry when Antetokounmpo got up to give her a hug and looked through her artwork.
The video has nearly a quarter-million views on YouTube and a slew of comments from viewers who apparently burst into tears watching the heartfelt interaction. “What a crybaby. I’m talking about me,” one commenter on the video said.
Giannis might have a 'mean mug,' but he’s a big softie
Take his “beef” with the Rock.
When he and shooting guard Pat Connaughton challenged Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to a weight-lifting battle on social media in January, Giannis made it clear it was all in good fun.
"I smell what @TheRock is cookin! Big fan."
Giannis on the challenge with @PlanetPat5 to The Rock: pic.twitter.com/ByKlenn0e1
“I’d kill him” in a wrestling match, Giannis told reporters with a laugh — and quickly backed down. “No, I’m joking. Because I don’t want him coming here and being mad and try to kill me first,” he said.
Johnson joined in on the playful jabs too. “Let’s just get a workout in and enjoy some tequila after,” he wrote on Twitter.
He’s going to keep airplane passengers safe — and charmed
Giannis stars in a flight safety video for Aegean Airlines, released in February. He displays how to fasten a seat belt, put on a life jacket and position a oxygen mask. It might be the first time we’ve paid attention to those.
One discrepancy: at 6 feet 11 inches tall, Giannis’ leg-room situation on typical flights cannot be as comfortable as it appears in the video.
One Twitter user commented, “I'm 6'4 and I've never had so much leg room in the economy class like Giannis has in this video.”
He’s got terrible jokes. But they make him so happy!
In this 2016 video from Bucks Media Day, Giannis warms up the gathered reporters with a bad knock-knock joke.
We’ll let him tell it:
Giannis starts his #BucksMediaDay session with a joke… pic.twitter.com/hsj0PfJtAb
Those in attendance didn’t seem to laugh. But he did. And that’s what counts, right?
He told a few more puns at Bucks Media Day in 2017 and positively delights in how awful they are.
He's an expert food reviewer
Giannis discovered American food, and it was more endearing than we could imagine.
When a 19-year-old Giannis tried a smoothie for the first time in 2014, his tweet documenting the experience became famous.
“I just taste for the first time a smoothie..MAN GOD BLESS AMERICA,” he tweeted.
I just taste for the first time a smothie..MAN GOD BLESS AMERICA?
The tweet garnered nearly 17,000 retweets and endless parodies — including a few by a 23-year-old Giannis.
In June he revived the winning tweet format for his inaugural corn dog.
“Just tried a corndog for the first time…Man God Bless America!” Giannis wrote.
Just tried a corndog for the first time…Man God Bless America! ?? #ForReaLpic.twitter.com/k4RDp6nSnI
It was the start of an American-food-trying spree, apparently.
Later that week, he tweeted about his first taste of Funyuns and red Kool-Aid, complete with reviews.
We’d read daily food reviews from Giannis, honestly.
He doesn’t forget his Greek superfans
After a February 2018 game in New York, Giannis met with a group of loud, proud Greek fans. They held up Greek flags and chanted “MVP,” and Giannis thanked them in Greek.
It’s clear from the video how proud the fans are to call Giannis their own. When he began signing kids’ jerseys, they jostled for his attention and yelled, “Gianni! Gianni!” He took it in stride.
As he left, the organizer of the Greek delegation’s visit to the Brooklyn Nets game presented Giannis with a taste of home: a helping of freshly made souvlaki — meat skewers — from a local Greek restaurant.
Giannis greets hundreds of Greeks after yesterday's game in New York!!#ThisIsWhyWePlaypic.twitter.com/AQw615D8cL
Giannis has a habit of giving kids the clothes off his back
Another viral moment happened at the Greek-fan event at the Nets game: he gave his sweatshirt to a boy in the crowd.
Then in March, a teen painted a pair of shoes for Giannis, who marveled over them.
WISN-TV reported the teen asked politely for Giannis’ jacket because the player means so much to him. Giannis obliged and even joked about giving him his pants, too.
Don’t forget one of the first moments a young Giannis won our hearts
As a Sports Illustrated reporter found out, Giannis in November 2013 took a cab to Western Union to send money home to his family in Greece. Giannis had a game that afternoon, but he didn’t have enough left for a cab fare.
Favorite–of many–anecdotes from @G_ante34 reporting. Early in the season, Giannis took a cab to Western Union to send money home…
…after sending all the money he could to Greece, he realized he didn't have enough left for cab fare. It was game day, so he started running
…he got about a mile before a couple stopped, asked if he was the Bucks rookie. He said yes. They picked him up and dropped him at the arena
He began running toward the Bradley Center, and got about a mile before a couple spotted him, pulled over and gave him a ride there.
They dropped him off with admonishment about his attire — he wore only a windbreaker, and temperatures were below 20 degrees.
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