Greek Freak Analyzed

Tag: writing

  • Bill simons evaluating the bucks season

    Bill simons evaluating the bucks season

    Here is a summary of the discussion:

    Bucks’ Outlook and Win Prediction

    • Vegas Odds and Win Total: The hosts found the Milwaukee Bucks’ over/under win total of 42.5 surprising, especially considering Giannis Antetokounmpo is still the best player in the conference [00:00]. The Bucks’ odds to win the conference were set at 20-to-1, the eighth-best in the East [00:07].
    • Confidence in the Over: The hosts were in strong agreement that the 42.5 win line is too low, projecting the Bucks to be at least a 46-win team [00:55]. They ultimately settled on a “triple lock” for the over [03:11].

    Team Changes and Strengths

    • Key Personnel Shifts: The team, which won 48 games last year, made several moves, which the hosts summarize as essentially trading Brook Lopez for Miles Turner and Damian Lillard for Cole Anthony [00:13]. They also note the addition of Thanasses and Alex A. [01:06].
    • Shooting Prowess: Despite the roster changes, the Bucks were highlighted as a “sneaky great shooting team,” having the number one three-point shooting percentage (38.5%) in the league last year. Several role players were shooting over 40% from deep [00:21].
    • Miles Turner Upgrade: Turner is viewed as a significant improvement over Brook Lopez, making the team’s core identity “absolutely seamless” [01:54].
    • Motivation and Edge: The team is seen as highly motivated, with coach Doc Rivers not wanting to rebuild, Giannis trying to win, and several rotation players like Turner, Kevin Porter Jr., and Cole Anthony playing with a “chip on their shoulder” [04:17].

    Areas of Concern and Trade Speculation

    • Playmaking Concern: A point of disagreement was the absence of another dedicated ball-handler besides Giannis, a role Damian Lillard provided [02:06].
    • Giannis’s Future: The possibility of a trade was acknowledged, though the hosts agreed that it would be “much more likely to be an offseason thing than an inseason thing” [03:01].
    • Hypothetical In-Season Trade: In a purely speculative exercise, if Giannis were to be traded mid-season, the most likely destination suggested was the San Antonio Spurs to pair him with Victor Wembanyama [07:28]. Other teams mentioned were Houston and Oklahoma City [07:45].

    Video Details:

    Transcription (automatic)

    The Milwaukee Bucks over under 42 and a half they are 20 to1 to win the conference which is the eighth best odds in the East even though they have the best player in the conference in Giannis minus 215 for the playoffs they were 48 and 34 last year they turned Lopez into Miles Turner they turned Dame Lillard into Cole Anthony and they turned Conaughtan into Coffee and Harris and they’re deep and they’re a sneaky great shooting team

    zack great didn’t take a lot but they were the number one three-point shooting team by percentage 38.5 last year they had Prince Green Porter Trenton Rollins all over 40% turner was at 39.6 porter’s 37 dame was actually lower than all those numbers and uh and they have shooting and they have Giannis and this number is dumbfounding to me because I don’t think they’re trading Giannis this season and I just don’t see a world where this isn’t like a 46- win team well look I mean what did they win last year 48 yeah yeah and they added Thanasses and Alex antento brainer and Russell Westbrook talk about a freakoff we This is We got the All the freaks are in Milwaukee it’s a G-rated freakoff it’s the real freakoff right here in Milwaukee Town now uh I think this team actually makes more sense than last year’s team i think that like the version of this team now I got hammered i want to like right hand up i got smashed at the outset of the playoffs because this version of Milwaukee with all those shooters going up against Indiana i thought that that Freak was going to be able to assert his will and this and the shooters on Milwaukee would keep them in and the Pacers ran them the fuck off the floor and I lost a bunch of money but I still think that the core identity of this Milwaukee team like Turner coming in makes it makes it absolutely seamless he’s an improvement over Brook Lopez i mean a huge improvement i didn’t think Brooke was good last year he was fine i I think where I would disagree with you is that like who do who do I want dribbling the basketball other than Giannis and at least I had like another guy to do that with Dame last year in a pick and roll combination that made sense kevin Porter Jr is probably a little overt taxed in the role he’s going to get same same with Ryan Rollins but as long as you I mean like and Giannis typically plays about 65ish games so like the remaining 15 to 20 are going to be big for how much if if for how much they go over this number i am also an over giannis plus shooting just makes a lot of sense to me if he gets to 657 desperate Giannis well this is my back is to the wall career-wise and I’ve thought about this all summer and I’m tired of losing Yiannis kuzma can’t be worse um I think I think Jericho Sims is like a decent backup center i agree with and again but the wild card is like is there a world where this goes really south and Giannis is not on the team after the tread deadline i agree with you i think that’s much more likely to be an offseason thing than an inseason thing so I am taking without much thought actually this is an aggressive over for me yeah I have it as I’m locking it down so am I triple lock triple lock triple lock it’s on my locks it’s Tuesday October the 14th we’re taping this podcast doc River’s birthday triple lock on how about that triple on Doc Rivers’s birthday

    Doc Rivers doesn’t I mean he left Boston the moment they were even hinting on rebuilding like he doesn’t want to rebuild with anybody giannis if he’s going to be there is going to try to win every game possible miles Turner just signed this deal and is pissed at Indiana and he’s going to want to beat everybody too they also a lot of the guys in this rotation are still like chip on their shoulder nobody believes in me why don’t people think I’m good guys like Kevin Porter what the fuck has he ever done like he’s still playing like he’s proven himself trent over and over again gets discounted in free agency portoris like he’s born with that chip cole Anthony about like I was six man of the year candidate like hot minute given away i’m f I think Cole Anthony could play crunch time for them uh I like I like that Rollins i thought he was pretty good for them last year and Green is just like the one thing we’ve seen with shooters like that they get better every year that they’re in the league right they always go up and I thought he was good last year i think this team’s going to be good he’s a AJ Green’s a good player great chemistry with Giannis portoris is just rock steady offense off the bench we barely even mention him we take him for granted because he just does what he does i think that I’m stunned that this line is so low like I I I don’t think the trade is priced is that what’s happening that’s it i think people think he’s just going to ask for a deal i have them I think they’re either fourth or fifth in the East i I have them or Atlanta sure four or five i think they’re not a playing team i think they’re four that makes tons of sense i six for me for sure we’re all in agreement so I did write down if we did get to vote for I assume you’re going to get your vote back would be my guess i haven’t asked for it but if uh Oh you don’t you don’t want the vote anymore do you i mean there’s I’m torn but we’ll see how it You know if you don’t have the vote you can gamble that’s why nobody offered it to me but I’m uh if they added an LVP award for most damaging player who played at least 25 minutes on a playoff team don’t do this to Kyle kosma’s minus 250 i can’t even think who would be another like heavy prohibitive favorite he’s not that’s not him he’s not I know he became a punchline last year like he’s not a bad NBA player he’s going to bounce back this year you predicting the Koosma bounceback koozma bounceback will I hit the legacy button or not most 2020 champion Kzma legacy button the Koosma legacy well they need him because if he actually can be somewhat what he looked like three years ago before House’s Wizards contaminated him well he not contaminated he got bit by a spider he was his own you know it was a self-sabotage alongside what was happening with the team the problem with him what happened is that he checked the fuck out two years ago and you can’t flip a switch in in in this league and show up with a team that’s contending and get your head right for for contending so we’re going to see this off season with this group is his head in the right place i’m proud that we got through this whole segment without talking about Giannis’s future and where he’s going to go well we kind of did we talked around it you have a whole season to do that yeah if there was one team if we’re wrong and he gets traded during the season oh boy you could only pick one team that that trade would happen to what is the team do I have to go first i’ll go first go ahead san Antonio okay because I don’t think the Knicks I just don’t think it’s an appetizing trade for the Bucks i’m not trading Giannis for what the Knicks are offering houston good so you guys took one and two so what’s that trade shenon i don’t know it you just asked me to name a team stop there i’m not going any further shenon mine is Reed Shepard oklahoma City that’s insane okay just saying they have the picks and the players prey’s even more risk averse than Zack they have What’s What’s the risk of taking on Giannis they just won the championship we just We all pick We all picked them to lock in over 62 and a half wins what are they trading for Giannis for does Giannis hurt that Giannis diminishes their win potential if I feel comfortable predicting that he will not get traded it’s okay see that’s fine i’m reporting that right now this is a purely it’s a ridiculous exercise so I gave an answer i don’t think San Antonio is ridiculous it’s not it’s not i think that’s the team that makes a ton of sense and by the way Giannis and Wemb is it absolute like Zack putting the microphone down walking away doing like a couple laps and doing this a few times yeah you you that’s all fine but just acknowledge that that is an enormous fuck you to Milwaukee there’s nothing they’re getting back from San Antonio other than we’ll be good in 5 years guys we’ll be good again in five years fox can be in that trade i was going to say and we’ll be good again in five years castle could be in that trade we’ll be good again in the East in three years there’s a bunch of picks that could go in that trade that’s what I mean that’s what I’m saying kelly Ool could be in that trade i love Kelly Ool l Cornet on top l Cornet hanging up don’t mention L Cornette

  • Is Giannis preparing a return to greece soon?

    Is Giannis preparing a return to greece soon?

    In the whirlwind world of the NBA, where superstars chase championships and global endorsements, few stories tug at the heartstrings quite like Giannis Antetokounmpo’s. The man they call the Greek Freak—born in Athens to Nigerian immigrant parents, risen from street-hustling kid to two-time MVP and NBA champion—has always worn his roots on his sleeve. But today, a new chapter unfolds that’s less about highlight reels and more about family foundations: Giannis’ wife, Mariah Riddlesprigger, and their four young children have officially settled permanently in Athens, Greece. Their sons have even started kindergarten at the prestigious Athens College, marking a bold pivot toward the homeland that shaped him.

    This isn’t just a seasonal relocation; it’s a seismic shift for a family that’s called Milwaukee home since Giannis was drafted in 2013. As the Bucks gear up for another title run, Giannis faces his first NBA season separated from his loved ones. What does this mean for the 30-year-old phenom? Could it fuel his fire on the court, or add an emotional weight to his already Herculean load? Or is he preparing for a return to Greece soon?

    ## A Family Forged in Adversity: Giannis’ Journey from Sepolia Streets to NBA Stardom

    To understand the significance of this move, we need to rewind to Giannis’ origins. Born Giannis Sina Ugo Antetokounmpo on December 6, 1994, in Athens’ gritty Sepolia neighborhood, he grew up stateless for years—his parents, Charles and Veronica, had fled Nigeria in the early 1990s seeking better opportunities, only to face poverty and discrimination in Greece. The family scraped by selling watches and handbags on the streets, with young Giannis and his brothers (Thanasis, Kostas, and Alex) pitching in to keep food on the table.

    Basketball became their escape. Scouted by local coach Spiros Velliniatis at age 13, Giannis’ raw athleticism— that impossible blend of 6’11” frame, speed, and power—propelled him from Filathlitikos’ youth teams to the NBA in a meteoric rise. By 2013, he was in Milwaukee, dragging his family across the Atlantic for a shot at the American Dream. Today, three of the four brothers play professionally in the NBA, and their AntetokounBros Academy in Athens offers free training to underprivileged kids, echoing the support they once received.

    Enter Mariah Riddlesprigger, a philanthropist and former college volleyball star whom Giannis met in Milwaukee. The couple, who married in a lavish summer 2024 ceremony after welcoming three children, have built a life centered on quiet joys amid the spotlight. Their kids—Liam Charles (born February 10, 2020), Maverick Shai (August 18, 2021), Eva Brooke (September 14, 2023), and the newest addition, Aria Capri (born around June 2025)—represent the next generation of Antetokounmpos. Rarely seen in public, they’ve been fixtures at Bucks games and family milestones, like the 2022 premiere of Disney+’s *Rise*, the film chronicling their immigrant saga.

    Giannis has always been vocal about fatherhood’s pull. In interviews, he’s said he’d retire on the spot if Liam asked for more playtime, underscoring how family anchors his relentless drive. Now, with the kids’ early years in flux, the pull of Greece feels inevitable.

    ## The Move: From Milwaukee Winters to Athenian Sunsets

    Whispers of a Greek return have swirled for years—Giannis bought a sprawling, futuristic apartment complex in the upscale Paleo Psychiko suburb of Athens back in 2023 for an estimated €10 million ($11 million), complete with units for his mother and brothers. But this summer, it became reality. As of September 2025, Mariah and the four children have made the transatlantic leap permanent, trading Milwaukee’s chilly, humid climate (where even July highs rarely top 26°C/79°F) for Athens’ Mediterranean warmth.

    The kids’ integration is already underway. Five-year-old Liam and four-year-old Maverick kicked off the school year at Athens College, one of Greece’s most elite institutions, known for its rigorous bilingual curriculum and alumni like shipping magnates and politicians. It’s no accident; Giannis, ever the planner, chose it to give his sons “only the best” from their formative years. Two-year-old Eva and four-month-old Aria are settling into the family rhythm, with the household buzzing in a quiet neighborhood where passersby remain blissfully unaware of their famous residents.

    This isn’t a trial run. Sources close to the family confirm it’s a multi-year commitment, with Giannis commuting between continents during the offseason and, presumably, holidays. The Bucks star returned to Milwaukee practice just days ago, but the separation marks uncharted territory for a man who’s thrived on stability.

    ## Why Now? Roots, Climate, and a Vision for the Future

    So, what sparked this bold step? It’s a cocktail of personal, cultural, and practical factors. Foremost: Mariah’s preference. When Giannis polled her on Milwaukee versus Athens, she chose the Greek capital without hesitation, citing the vibrant community, milder weather, and cultural richness. “Greece suits us better,” insiders note, a sentiment echoed in Giannis’ own long-held dreams of returning home.

    Giannis has been candid about his love for Athens. In a July 2025 interview, he declared, “I’m definitely thinking of coming to Greece permanently when I retire… Athens is my home.” His tears after captaining Greece to a bronze at EuroBasket 2025—the country’s first medal since 2009—spoke volumes about his emotional tether. The move aligns with his vision: exposing his kids to their heritage, fluent Greek lessons, and summers on sun-drenched islands, all while nurturing the AntetokounBros legacy through local philanthropy.

    Practically, it’s savvy. With business ventures blooming in Greece (from real estate to the family’s academy), and rumors of a post-NBA stint with Filathlitikos—the club that launched him—rooting the family there streamlines logistics. Unlike LeBron James, whom he admires, Giannis has hinted he’s not chasing a 40-year-old career; he wants to peak now and pivot sooner, perhaps ending his playing days in the Hellenic League.

    ## The Ripple Effects: Emotional Turbulence, On-Court Fuel, and Long-Term Legacy

    No sugarcoating it: this separation could test Giannis like never before. For the first time, he’ll lace up for Bucks games without his family’s courtside cheers or post-practice cuddles. “It will not be easy,” those in his circle admit, especially with a newborn at home. The 8-hour time difference and grueling travel—private jets notwithstanding—could amplify the isolation of NBA life, potentially stirring anxiety or homesickness. We’ve seen stars like Kevin Durant grapple with similar family strains; for Giannis, whose identity is so intertwined with family, it might manifest as restless energy or, worse, distraction.

    Yet, there’s profound upside. Psychologically, knowing his kids are immersed in their cultural bedrock could lighten his load, freeing mental bandwidth for the court. Imagine the motivation: every dunk a dedication to providing that “best” education, every assist a step toward a post-retirement life unmarred by regret. History shows fatherhood sharpens focus—post-Liam’s birth, Giannis averaged 29.5 points in the 2020-21 championship run. This move might supercharge that, turning transatlantic longing into unbreakable resolve.

    On the family front, it’s a win for stability. Milwaukee’s transient NBA scene pales against Athens’ extended-family vibe, where Veronica can dote on grandkids and the brothers collaborate on ventures. For the children, it’s a bilingual, multicultural upbringing—Greek summers, American holidays—that mirrors Giannis’ own hybrid identity, fostering resilience they’ll need in a global world.

    Career-wise, it signals maturity. At 30, with a supermax extension through 2028, Giannis is eyeing legacy beyond rings. Settling his family in Greece positions him as a bridge-builder: the immigrant kid who returns to uplift, not just extract. It could extend his prime by reducing burnout, and if whispers of an Athens NBA expansion hold water, who knows? The Greek Freak might one day headline a Euro league.

    Of course, risks linger. If the Bucks falter or injuries mount (recall his 2023 knee scare), the pull of home might accelerate retirement talks. And logistically? Balancing Daddy duty with 82 games demands ninja-level scheduling.

    ## Closing the Circle: A Freakish Return to Roots

    Giannis Antetokounmpo’s family move to Athens isn’t an ending—it’s a homecoming that closes the circle on a life story scripted in struggle and stardom. From Sepolia’s shadows to Milwaukee’s spotlight, he’s always chased wholeness: for himself, his brothers, his parents, and now his children. This decision, though laced with sacrifice, underscores his core value—family above all.

    As the season tips off, watch for that extra gear in Giannis’ game. It might just be the fuel to chase another ring, knowing his little freaks are thriving where it all began. In a league of mercenaries, the Greek Freak remains gloriously grounded. And in doing so, he reminds us: true greatness isn’t measured in trophies alone, but in the homes we build across oceans.

    Personally I think it will be a convenient excuse. When he fails again this year to achieve anything in the post season he will use his family as an excuse to justify playing in Europe with a Greek team. And all he has said over the years about loyalty to the Bucks and the place that has been home all these years will go out the window…

    *Sources: Proto Thema English, New Greek TV, People Magazine, Greek Reporter, Hellenic Daily News.*