|
Listen to this article here
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Over last weekend’s February NBA All-Star Game, Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo made Black history, announcing that he’s signed a WhatsApp endorsement deal, becoming the Meta-owned messaging platform’s first-ever brand partner.
Debuting in 2013, Giannis Antetokounmpo has already been named one of the NBA’s 75 greatest players of all time. In less than 10 years! Giannis’ humble beginnings have groomed him for a life on top and he’s taken full advantage of it.
Giannis is a Champion in more ways than one.
Nicknamed “The Greek Freak” by casual and avid sports fans alike, Giannis spent many of his formative years in Greece. Nonetheless, his family roots are in Nigeria. And he hasn’t forgotten that.
“I love the idea, on this big stage to represent where my family’s from, my culture, and the people in Nigeria,” Giannis Antetokounmpo told US business publication Fast Company.
As agile and ferocious an athlete of Giannis, Antetokounmpo has been making equally impressive money moves off the court. He’s recently backed a startup sports drink brand Ready Nutrition and became a minority owner of Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Milwaukee Brewers in August 2021.
Giannis Antetokounmpo uses WhatsApp to connect with family.
Giannis Antetokounmpo stated that he’s used WhatsApp for years to connect with family back home. “Throughout my life, WhatsApp has kept me connected to my loved ones, my friends, my communities, and everyone important to me,” Giannis said in a press release this week. “Having easy access to my communities has helped build me into the person and athlete I am today, and working with WhatsApp, a messaging service that I use every day to stay connected with family is important to me.”