By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo sat down with reporters on Saturday and discussed how protesting against brutality is “bigger than basketball”. The reigning MVP talked the day Bucks decided to boycott Game 5 of the playoffs, in the wake of Jacob Blake’s shooting in Kenosha, Wisconsin last week.
“One thing that moved me as a human being was that, if you really want to accomplish something and get something done, you can. We were able to get his family’s number within like 30 minutes,” Antetokounmpo told reporters. “And, we came together as a team, went in a circle, talked to his dad and his dad was tearing up telling us how powerful what we did on that day was for him and his family, and that’s bigger than basketball to me”.
“Obviously, it’s gonna be games that you come in and score 30, 35, 50 or whatever the case might be, but that you’re going to remember. The way we felt, we’re going to remember the way we felt for the rest of our lives.”
Giannis also spoke about his concerns over raising a family in the United States compared to Greece, concerns that he has discussed with his siblings, teammates, as well as his girlfriend who gave birth to their first son a few months ago.
“Obviously (those are) two different cultures. In Greece, there might be people who felt racism at times, we might felt the same way, but I was never scared for my life. Walking down the street I was never scared that something might happen. Spending seven years here and my brother growing up here, I have conversations with him. I have conversations with my teammates. It’s tough,” Giannis said.
“People are scared to walk in the street because of the color of their skin. You’re scared for your life. I think that has to change. I just became a dad a few months ago and I’ve had a conversation with my girlfriend and it’s scary. It’s scary to raise a son here and have a family. It’s scary. I don’t feel like I should be scared at any moment that my son and my family are walking down the street, I shouldn’t be scared. I just try to educate myself as much as possible.”
The reigning MVP also went back to his rookie season, when Caron Butler advised him on what it actually means to be black in the United States.
“I had Caron Butler tell me that when you walk down the street, take off your hoodie,” Antetokounmpo said. “I’m like, ‘Why should I take off my hoodie?’ and he’s like, ‘Just take off your hoodie.’ And that was my rookie year. I didn’t understand it then, but I understand it now.”