Everything We Know About the Oldest Antetokounmpo Brother, Francis
You can’t argue about which NBA star has the most talented family; it’s the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo. The top-three NBA player is well known for having talented brothers. A few of them even play in the NBA. But what about the lesser-known brothers? Here’s everything we know about Francis Antetokounmpo, the oldest brother in the family.
Where was Francis Antetokounmpo born?
Compared to Francis, Giannis’s life is practically an open book. There’s little information available about the oldest Antetokounmpo brother. But the info available tells the story of the first-born member of a family that would become one of the most famous in sports. Francis’s story also begins somewhere slightly different than the rest of his siblings.
Parents Charles and Veronica Antetokounmpo originally lived in Lagos, Nigeria, according to Heavy. Many people don’t realize where Giannis and his family truly grew up. Giannis recounted this in an interview with The Undefeated :
“Obviously, a lot of people don’t know where I’m from … A lot of people think my mom or my dad are from Greece, but no. Both of my parents are black. Both of my parents are Nigerian.”
In fact, Charles and Veronica’s first son, Francis, was born in Nigeria in 1988.
Where did Francis Antetokounmpo grow up?
Many immigrant families face tough decisions as they seek to build a life elsewhere. The Antetokounmpo family was no different. Charles and Veronica had Francis and decided they wanted to move for the good of the family.
In 1991, they made the difficult decision to move to Athens, Greece to pursue better opportunities. Francis stayed behind with his grandparents. In Greece, Charles and Veronica had four more children: Thanasis, Alexis, Giannis, and Kostas. (Francis is the only member of the Antetokounmpos not born in Europe.)
Francis’s birth name — and the original name of the Antetokounmpo family — was Adetokunbo. It was spelled differently on Giannis’s Greek passport, which is why their family name changed to Antetokounmpo.
What sports does Francis play?
Giannis and Thanasis play for the Bucks, and Kostas plays for the Los Angeles Lakers’ G-League affiliate. Athleticism clearly runs in the family. But what about Francis?
The 6-foot-5 athlete played basketball in Greece but didn’t move to the pros like his brothers. That said, Francis possesses considerable athletic prowess. He was most successful on the soccer pitch, seeing time as a midfielder in both Greece and Nigeria. Here’s his transfer history as well as the clubs Francis played for:
- January 18, 2018: Joined AE Sparti, a Greek football club based in Sparta, Laconia, Greece
- September 11, 2018: Left AE Sparti to join Aittitos Spaton, a Greek football club based in Spata, East Attica, Greece
- January 23, 2019: Left Aittitos Spaton
Very little information is available in the way of stats for Francis as none of the clubs he’s played for are particularly prominent for U.S. soccer fans. But based on his bloodline, it’s no wonder Francis played soccer professionally.
The rest of the family is clearly athletically inclined. The brothers have organized a 5K run for charity in their home nation of Greece, which Francis participates in, too.
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