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Mirin Fader's new biography, "Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP," is an inspiring story not of basketball and celebrity but of family and dreams - as well as a masterclass on sports reporting.
As if NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn't already a household name - a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player who just led the Milwaukee Bucks to their first NBA Championship since 1971 - Fader's words put context behind his legend, for readers of all interests (even for those outside basketball fandom).
The book is about Giannis the human rather than Giannis the basketball player. In both the biography and in Giannis's real life, sport comes second to family. Giannis's brothers, parents, inner circle - they provide the stakes, a human texture - and move the narrative forward much more than his on-the-court achievements.
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Most sports followers have heard how "the Greek Freak" endured a difficult childhood of poverty before becoming a "rags-to-riches" hero. A kid who went from selling trinkets on the streets of Greece to the bright lights of the NBA. The rise of an international sports hero.
That summary, while inspiring, pales next to the complete and poignant account provided in "Giannis."
With extraordinary detail and well-paced prose, Fader makes this story visceral, touching, and memorable; her book is nothing short of a triumph. A wide-ranging, definitive portrait of Giannis - the man, brother, son, friend, provider, and role model.
Touching anecdotes of the humble soul abound. Like how Giannis, even after becoming wealthy as an NBA rookie, could not believe the team provided free food after practices.
"Platters of pasta. Energy bars. Chicken. Gatorade. Chips. For free," Fader writes. "After everyone had taken theirs, he would fill up four or five plastic containers of the food to take home. His teammates would look at him strangely, unsure why he was hoarding food."
Or how Giannis was willing to quit his NBA career and return to Greece if his entire family couldn't move to the US to live with him: "... every day without his family pierced him. He wondered if it was all worth it… he had always imagined being here but never once considered his family would be there [Greece]."
Or how, on a pre-draft trip to America, an NBA team booked two separate rooms for Giannis and his brother, but they ended up sleeping together in the same room, in the same bed, because that's what they had always done.
Coming from a background of poverty and struggle instilled a humbleness and indomitable work ethic in Giannis. Fader writes of how he and his older brother, Thanasis, had to share a single pair of basketball shoes as kids. This gave Giannis - and his brothers - a keen sense of needs versus wants. An understanding of what it means to put your head down and do whatever it takes to survive.
Even today, as a superstar athlete, Giannis doesn't look to make viral social media posts or live a flashy lifestyle. On his NBA salary, Giannis once canceled a $20 cable television payment because he thought it was too expensive. On another occasion, he insisted on buying a used car to save money.
Whether individually or in combination, the vignettes Fader provides are enough to win over even the most adamant of Bucks-haters and Greek-Freak-critics.
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The book places Fader's meticulousness and range as a reporter on full display. She cites Greek newspaper clippings, makes obscure historical references about the city of Milwaukee and sports history, and thoughtfully writes on race and identity in Greece.
The notes section explains how she conducted 221 interviews for the book, many of which required Greek-t0-English translators. She interviews family members, former teammates, childhood friends and coaches, and even basketball fans.
For some writers, such a massive collection of voices puts them at risk of stacking together an incoherent jumble, with inconsistencies in tone and timeline. Fader, however, leverages the range of perspectives to create a complete and rich narrative that is as easy to read as it is entertaining (once I started, I couldn't put the book down).
Nothing feels redundant; the story feels well-rounded and organized.
Unlike Roland Lazenby's celebrated basketball biographies, "Michael Jordan: The Life" and "Showboat: The Life of Kobe Bryant," Fader's "Giannis." includes no blemishes about the subject of study. No legal or marital troubles; no gambling addiction. Character flaws in the protagonist are conspicuously absent.
It's a story of a seemingly unending string of obstacles - poverty, hunger, racism, tragedy - but everything contributes to Giannis's character, and Fader portrays him as a pristine figure.
The timing could not be better because the book came out after the Milwaukee Bucks 2021 NBA Championship. The 2022 paperback edition will surely include new reporting from their winning playoff run.
"Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP" by Mirin Fader is an achievement in sportswriting and a brilliant biography that captures not only one of history's best basketball players but one of the most humble, grounded, and driven individuals to meet the public eye.
