Who here doesn’t dream about getting one’s customized collection in a glitzy famous sports brand! For most of the sports enthusiasts here, it’s like a dream come true! And if the brand’s none other than Nike, then we are willing to raise the stakes even higher, right? Meet Giannis Antetokounmpo, the same youngster who had added to the hype with his Nike shoe giveaway with his Greek teammates! In a recent reel, Giannis reiterated, “What’s the most dangerous animal?”- he proclaimed his Nike legacy with a classic drum roll!

Now we have all heard of spirit animals and zodiac animals, but Giannis was determined to take it a step further. He introduced the fans to the players’ dangerous animal spirit which takes control, as they take charge on court. And the analogy couldn’t have been a wilder one. It was a complete jungle fiesta!

The Greek Freak, in the viral reel, took to his Instagram handle, to post an old video of when he got his first glimpse of the Giannis Freak 6, “This is the 6… tough when you think about the most dangerous animals, right? What do you think of? There’s a lion in the league, right- the king? There’s a tarantula.. the black mamba and then there’s somebody that you don’t think about, but he’s an animal, right? Which is the wolf! This is me.” 

Those of us who are well-versed in his rigorous gym schedule know what he’s talking about! He takes to the gym—straight from the arena after losses, straight from the airport after road trips, straight from the court after back-to-back practice sessions.

Taking it further, he added, “You don’t think about me! I follow you for 50 miles, but I’m right there with you! You get tired… When you get tired. Consistency. The most consistent animal (the camera zooms in with a closeup shot of the wolf with red eyes staring right back at you). This is the look-up when I’m like this. That’s tough.. really tough!” 

Giannis has emerged as a fresh whirlpool of power-packed talent and potential. What contributes to his transformative journey, you would ask? If we could sum it up in just two of the many factors out there, that would be his relentless work ethic and unmatched passion, which shines through only a few! However, in his dialogue above, the Greek Freak made references to Bron and Kobe when you look closely. Didn’t get it? Let’s dive deeper.

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s hidden ‘Wolf power’ of consistency unleashed!

Just in case this wild analogy and the brainchild of Giannis Antetokounmpo left your thoughts whirling, we are here to help you decipher who meant who! The lion is a reference being made to the Lakers sensation and Team USA’s throbbing lifeline LeBron James, whom Giannis considers the ‘King‘. The legendary player with his demigod-like aura on the court, Kobe, is Black Mamba – as dangerous as you can possibly imagine, known for the unexpected fatal strike!

Remember how Kobe turned the tables with his iconic career-high 81 points in a 122-104 victory over the Toronto Raptors, the second-highest in NBA history! But what’s interesting is the analogy that he had reserved for himself, which is that of the wolf.

Upon peeling the layers further, you get to see through this wild analogy that’s being hinted at. This sly animal is known to hunt in packs and is usually sidelined when the topic of dangerous animals pops up. As pointed out by Giannis Antetokounmpo, a wolf is a perfect chaser who can follow the prey for 50 miles without losing either its breath or speed.

Consistency is the word for it which fits into the definition with a perfect bang!

This has not gone unnoticed by Nike, who has taken it up to promote his collection on their website. “Giannis’s combination of size, speed, versatility and skill are perfectly suited for the modern game. The Zoom Freak 2 is built to harness Giannis’s freaky athleticism and the unique movement of every type of player, no matter what their position, size or gender.” Also, adding a famous quote by the man himself, “If your goal is to be the best you can be every single day, there’s nothing that can stop you.”

And unstoppable indeed, he has proved to be from where he once was to where he stands today! This Greek-Nigerian hooper who proudly carries his African descent everywhere he goes – was born to immigrant parents. Now the 8x NBA All-Star playing from the Milwaukee Bucks, his creative flair was spot on even 3 and a half years ago when he couldn’t stop tweeting about his first smoothie.

The cultural shock he got to experience firsthand was huge! He even refused to use the auto-pump feature on his gas nozzle because he was so scared to pump it himself! Posting wild with excitement just after munching on a burger at In-N-Out, he wrote, “This is America right here! The real America! Isn’t it beautiful?”

But things were not always this beautiful or exciting for him. As the lanky hustler from Athens, he used to spend most of his time peddling watches, sunglasses, toys, and video games, on the streets near the Acropolis. Like literally going from house to house. Much of his backstory has already been told and retold. And the dude is right, it was consistency that shone through his character all this while.

For Giannis, these memories from his childhood are consistent too. They never fade away. “I can’t push it to the side,” Antetokounmpo explains. “I can’t say, ‘I’ve made it, I’m done with all that.’ I will always carry it with me. It’s where I learned to work like this.”

“Even after toiling all day long,” he recalls, “The results were never guaranteed.” Therein he finds the biggest difference between his life then and now. “If I work here,” he says, “I get the results. That’s the greatest feeling ever for me.” It keeps him coming back for more like the insatiable appetite of the wolf.

Giannis Antetokounmpo stands tall at an impressive 6’ 11″ with the Wizards coach Scott Brooks exclaiming, “It’s just that we’ve never seen somebody with a stride like this.” Among the NBA’s elite of lanky fellows with their amazing stretches, Kevin Durant is the scorer, and Anthony Davis is the slasher. Antetokounmpo is the creator who makes it happen to the tune of 23.8 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 5.9 assists, with his dribble tactics going over and around the defenders’ heads.

This season there will be a lot to closely watch out for the Bucks star whose wolf-like consistency will be put to true test, and as they say before you learn to spell his surname right, he will have gone 50 miles ahead at the top speed!