Giannis Antetokounmpo is the undisputed best player in the NBA today. Two of his brothers, Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Alex Antetokounmpo are his teammates as well. Kostas Antetokounmpo, another brother of Giannis, plays in the EuroLeague for the Turkish team Fenerbahce. However, Giannis Antetokounmpo has another brother, Francis Antetokounmpo. He is the eldest child of the family and he was left behind in Nigeria when his parents migrated to Greece. In this post, we will find out more about Francis Antetokounmpo. Let’s get started.

Francis Antetokounmpo: All You Need To Know 

Who is Francis Antetokounmpo?

When Charles and Veronica Antetokounmpo decided to relocate to Greece for a better future, their firstborn son, Francis was forced to stay behind in Lagos, Nigeria, growing up with his grandparents and following his own unique path.

He was so different that while his other four siblings were involved in basketball, he preferred football and music.

For more than two decades the family lived in Greece, while when Francis managed to come to Greece at 30, the rest had already moved to America.

After all, the brilliant career of his brothers in the NBA, there was no other choice. The eldest child of the family, however, continued to build his dreams in Greece, starting with football and following a career in the music industry.

How was Francis Antetokounmpo’s childhood?

Francis Antetokounmpo was still a child when he was separated from his family and grew up near his grandparents.

Francis Antetokounmpo was just 5 when his parents migrated to Greece. He stayed back and lived with his grandparents. The biggest hurdle was the paperwork. When his parents came to Greece they had no papers and it was difficult for them to even visit Nigeria. So think how difficult it was for them to take Francis with them to Greece. In recent years, however, Francis  could also move more comfortably and finally, about four years ago, he came to live in Greece permanently. “Certainly all this was not easy for us,” Francis Antetokounmpo confessed.

How did Francis Antetokounmpo stay in touch with his family?

Despite the huge mileage he had with his family for years, it didn’t affect their relationship at all.

During this entire time, the family stayed in touch through phone calls. This kept the family very close. With every phone call, Francis Antetokounmpo’s father gave him strength and said that things may be like this now but they won’t be like this forever. “I was actually fine. I lived with my grandparents, so I never felt like I was losing touch with my family,” Francis Antetokounmpo explained.

Did the Antetokounmpos have financial struggles?

Both Giannis and Thanasis, two of his four siblings, have admitted in interviews the financial difficulties the family faced in Greece as well as the need to work from a young age.

Even in Nigeria, they faced the same issues as the grandparents who were retired teachers. Survival was also a fight but Francis Antentokounmpo managed to prevail with the help of his uncles. 

Despite the difficulties, Francis Antetokounmpo managed to continue his studies and obtain a degree in Business Administration.

Why did Francis Antetokounpo get a degree in business administration?

Growing up, Francis Anthentokounmpo was fascinated by both music and business administration. He said that he felt as if business administration is something everybody has to encounter at some point in time. Francis Antentokounmpo said that his MBA has helped him manage his own career as well. 

The love of singing

One might think that he has completely escaped the family route, but the reality is different.

How did Francis Antetokounmpo start his music career?

Francis Antentokounmpo has said that sports and music are an integral part of the Antetokounmpo family. Veronica Antetokounmpo sang since her school days and Charles Antetokounmpo played professional football in Nigeria. That’s how he grew up singing and playing football. 

He remembers his grandfather who heard him sing by chance one day and said: “I like your voice, I think you can sing”. Then, Francis Antetokounmpo thought that since others are seeing it, he should try it. In his student days, he had a few friends who were also involved in music. So, they sometimes went to the streets and sang a capella. Around 2009, Francis Antetokounmpo started writing music and preparing some demos.

During the years that Francis Antetokounmpo has been involved in rap, he has come close to several Greek rappers such as Moose, Light, and the Negro of Maria.

In fact, he has also released his own songs. He collaborated with Negro and Moose for the song Paid. “Thatting” is essentially a continuation of the previous song,” said Francis Antetokounmpo. His career in music also highlighted his middle name which is Ofili.

What does Ofili mean?

Speaking on his name, Francis Antetokounmpo said: “My name means “peace and supremacy”. It is actually the name of my grandfather, the father of my mother whom I never met, but she used to talk to me about him often. He was a wonderful man. Everyone loved him for his calmness and belief that everything is resolved peacefully. So for these reasons, I love my middle name.” A special moment in his career is last year’s collaboration with Darko Peric, Helsinki’s favorite La Casa De Papel, who participated in his first music video for the song Shekoski.

How did Francis Antetokounmpo end up collaborating with Darko Peric?

Francis Antetokounmpo was a big fan of Darko Peric through his popular Netflix show. He said: “I met Darko as he is a friend of my brothers. I told him about the idea I had for the video clip and he immediately responded positively. “I’ve never done anything like this before, but I’d love to,” he told me. I really wanted him to be a part of this work as he makes music himself. It was a great pleasure that we worked together because he inspired me, among other things, in the way I acted in the music video, as it was my first. He encouraged me and gave me strength saying “I love your song, that’s why I’m here”. He is a very simple person and it was really the best choice I could have made.”

What is Francis Antetokounmpo’s net worth?

Francis Antetokounmpo isn’t as rich as his famous brother in the NBA. However, he has built a solid net worth of $1 million in his career so far.