Giannis, by Mirin Fader, is a biography about the life of the back to back MVP recipient, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis grew up in Greece with his mom, dad and his three brothers: Thanasis, Kostas and Alex. The family did not grow up with a lot of money and they were struggling to keep their house. The basketball court at their local rundown gym was the place Giannis went to escape all the problems from the world. During these times at the gym, Giannis found a love for basketball and started to become very good at it. He was a tall and skinny kid who could play any position the coach needed him too. Giannis was a very hard worker and was trying to make it to the NBA to help with all the money problems that his family is having. During the 2013 draft, Giannis Antetokounmpo was selected 15 overall to the Milwaukee Bucks. Considering this was the first time Giannis has ever been outside of Greece, he was very nervous but also excited for the new chapter in his life to start. Giannis wasn’t used to the weather in Milwaukee so during snowy days, he just wore a light jacket because he had nothing else to wear. Giannis also was missing his family because they didn’t have visa’s yet to come over to the States. Giannis was constantly trying to get them to come over but the best he could do was send them money and take care of them from a distance. Giannis never gave up and worked really hard to help him become a two time Most Valuable Player and a 2021 Champion with the first team that gave him a chance, the Milwaukee Bucks. 

I really liked this book for three main reasons. My first reason was I loved how much detail the author went into to help me understand how rough Giannis’s life was before he made it to the NBA. The second reason I liked this book was because of how well the author told us about Giannis’s family like his three brothers and where they were playing basketball and some of the struggles they’ve been through. The final reason I enjoyed this book was because of how it gave me an inside look at what goes on outside of the court during the NBA season. It helped me better understand how much time they take in preparing for the next game like the practice they have to go through and watching film.

I would definitely recommend this book to all people who are interested in sports and how the process of getting drafted and becoming a NBA champion works. This book goes into great detail about the work that is put in to being a basketball star along with the good results that come out of the hard work. It also goes into great detail about the struggles even the best basketball players go through and how to overcome them. I also love how it explains how much strategy goes into a basketball game that normal fans don’t know. I give this book a 10 out of 10. 

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