Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Emotional Struggle: Almost Giving up Basketball After Tragic Loss of His Father, Revealed in New Documentary

In a new documentary about his life from Prime Video Sports, NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo, 29, acknowledges that he nearly gave up on basketball following the passing away of his father, Charles Antetokounmpo, in 2017.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Says He Almost Quit Basketball After His Dad's Death in Documentary Trailer

Giannis: The Marvelous Journey’s debut trailer, which PEOPLE exclusively revealed, features Antetokounmpo, 29, and his family members discussing the impact of their sad loss on their family.

“I said, ‘I don’t want to play no more,'” In the teaser, Giannis says this before his fiancée, Mariah Riddlesprigger, remembers. “I thought he was done.”

Three years into Giannis’s NBA career, Charles, 54, unexpectedly passed away in Milwaukee after a heart аttаck.

Nevertheless, after losing his father, Giannis didn’t give up on the sport he loved and went on to become one of the best basketball players of all time.

In the teaser, Giannis adds, “Go conquer the world, because we’re all going to Ԁie one day.”

Beginning with the choice made by Giannis’s parents, Charles and Veronica Antetokounmpo, to leave Nigeria for Greece when Giannis and his brothers were young, the Prime Video documentary follows Giannis’s journey from a poor childhood in Greece as the son of Nigerian immigrants to the pinnacle of the basketball world.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Alex Antetokounmpo, Veronica "Vera" Antetokounmpo, Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Kostas Antetokounmpo attend the world premiere of Rise

According to Veronica, she and her spouse “left Nigeria looking for a better life” for their kids. But living in Greece turned out to have a distinct set of difficulties.

As immigrants in Greece, Giannis’ brothers Thanasis, Kostas, and Alex Antetokounmpo talk about living “in feаr” and how Giannis was “always trying to protect” his family.

During the clip, Giannis states, “You want the best for your brothers,” while crying. “I’m just a hard worker who’s trying to survive,” he continues, “Because I’m scаred of losing all of this.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis and his brothers remember watching NBA highlights from local internet cafes in Greece before he even imagined playing professionally. There, they saw the plays of players like LeBron James and Kevin Durant, who would later be opponents of Giannis in the league.

Currently, his brother Thanasis is a player for the Milwaukee Bucks.

After leading the Bucks to the NBA championship in 2021, Giannis cemented his status as the greatest basketball player of all time.

In the teaser, Giannis states, “The difference between a coward and a hero…it’s how you deal with feаr.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo Says He Almost Quit Basketball After His Dad's Death in Documentary Trailer

The Words + Pictures-produced and Kristen Lappas-directed Prime Video Sports movie is the first time Giannis’s family has shared first-hand narratives about their shared journey.

A number of NBA players, including Jason Kidd, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, Kenny Smith, Vin Baker, and Ernie Johnson, are interviewed for the documentary.