Giannis Antetokounmpo to build basketball facility in Greece area hit by deadly 2018 fire
Milwaukee Bucks star and Greece native Giannis Antetokounmpo will fund a new indoor basketball court in an area outside of Athens that was impacted by a massive fire last summer, according to the Associated Press.
Antetokounmpo offered to build the new court at a recycling park that is being built in the Rafina area, which sits about 30 minutes away from Athens. Rafina mayor Vangelis Bournous did not reveal how much the project cost but expected it to be done by the end of summer.
“Antetokounmpo, the well-known Giannis Antetokounmpo, has made a donation at the site to build an indoor court — I’m announcing this for the first time,” Bournous said Sunday at a campaign event, via the Associated Press. “It will be built with a modern method using a steel building frame so it can be ready by the end of the summer.”
The deadly fires ripped through an area northeast of Athens in July 2018, destroying thousands of homes, injuring more than 180 people and killing at least 92, according to the Associated Press.
Antetokounmpo was born in Athens and moved to the United States when the Bucks selected him in the first round of the 2013 NBA draft. The three-time All-Star averaged a career-high 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists this season while leading Milwaukee to the top seed in the NBA playoffs. The Bucks currently hold a 2-1 series lead against the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference finals.
Antetokounmpo’s brother, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, still lives in Greece and plays for Athens club Panathinaikos, which is coached by former Louisville coach Rick Pitino.
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