In the face of scathing remarks from online critics, NBA luminary Giannis Antetokounmpo has stepped forward to defend the bond he shares with his spouse. Detractors on social media have audaciously suggested he could be romantically linked to multiple models instead.
Antetokounmpo, celebrated for securing the MVP title twice and being named an All-Star on ten occasions, first crossed paths with his wife Mariah amidst the vibrant backdrop of the NBA’s Summer League in Las Vegas back in 2014.
As he was gearing up for his second season in the NBA, Giannis candidly revealed that he had an immediate sense Mariah was “the one” he would eventually marry. Fast forward to now, the couple is blissfully raising four children and tied the knot in his homeland Greece in 2024.
This week, during an appearance on ‘AnesTea The Podcast’, the new Miami Heat star felt compelled to address the unfounded claims suggesting he could opt for a more glamorous partner.
“I’ve heard so many things,” he recounted. “‘Why is Giannis with this wife? He could be with a model. Not one model but 10!’ Yet, I am with my wife because she speaks the truth to me,” he articulated, shedding light on the essence of their enduring relationship.
‘She loves me, she will tell me whenever I do anything wrong. She will tell my kids the truth. I know that she will kill for my kids and she would even kill me for them.
NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo has been forced to defend his marriage to wife Mariah
Vile online trolls told the new Miami Heat star that he could be ‘with not one model, but 10’
‘I know that she won’t let my kids get a big head, and that’s the most important thing for me. I am in love. I am in love with her. As a woman and as a mother.’
Speaking about the moment they met in Las Vegas, he added: ‘I knew she would be my wife. I knew it immediately.
‘I met her in Vegas. After Vegas, I tried to talk to her, but it didn’t work out. Then later she said, “I want to get to know you.”
‘I said, “You want to get to know me?” So I started flying to Miami. You know how a lot of girls say, “You’re going to fly me out?” I was like, “Mm-mm.”
‘She was like, “Say less.” A week later, I was in Miami, and she showed up. I was like, “You came?” She said, “Yeah, I want to get to know you.”
‘Then she started spending time with my mom and my dad while he was still alive. The moment I saw her, I knew she was the person I wanted to be with. From the moment she came to Miami until today, she has never left my side. Now we have four kids.’
Antetokounmpo got his formal Heat introduction on Thursday, a couple of weeks after Miami swung the trade that landed the NBA champion along with Bobby Portis Jr. from the Bucks.
In exchange, Milwaukee received Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis and draft capital.
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Antetokounmpo met his wife Mariah at the NBA’s Summer League in Las Vegas back in 2014
Antetokounmpo entered the NBA in 2013. His career totals to date are 21,531 points, 8,882 rebounds and 4,484 assists.
The point and rebound totals are both fifth best in the NBA over that span, while the assist total is 13th best – and those numbers are just part of the reason why the Heat consider him to still be one of the five best players in the league.
Antetokounmpo’s run in Milwaukee ended with him having, by far, the most points in franchise history, more than 7,000 ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s total during his tenure with the Bucks.
Antetokounmpo is also Milwaukee’s all-time leader in rebounds and assists, plus he ranks second on the team’s career list in steals.