Giannis Antetokounmpo’s mother and brother granted honorary Greek citizenship

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Thursday hosted an honorary citizenship ceremony for the mother and brother of Nigerian-Greek basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Veronica and Alex Antetokounmpo were granted Greek citizenship in a decision signed on September 6 by the country’s president, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, and were sworn in on Thursday at the prime minister’s Maximos Mansion.

Their citizenship is honorary, as neither are formally eligible under current Greek law.

Alexandros “Alex” Emeka Antetokounmpo – the younger brother of fellow basketball players Giannis, Thanassis and Kostas – was born in Greece in 2001 and spent the first 12 years of his life here before the family moved to the United States, where Giannis was playing his rookie season with the Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association.

"We always felt Greek, but now we have an official stamp and we are happy," Antetokounmpo told reporters after the ceremony. "Alex and my mom are Greek citizens now."

Giannis and Thanassis Antetokounmpo were granted Greek citizenship in 2013 and Kostas in 2016.

Veronica and her husband Charles Adetokunbo (before the name’s transliteration into Greek) migrated from Nigeria to Greece in 1991.