Giannis Antetokounmpo at AntetokounBros Academy's basketball court

Imagine being a teenager and going to a training session, only to meet the best basketball player in the world. While new candidates, aged 6-12, can apply until Friday, October 1, to the AntetokounBros Academy, the academy of free basketball training sessions, workshops, talks, and scholarships, the NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to Athens and to the open courts from which he started. To speak to, play with, and inspire all the young athletes of the program.

At the Ellinorosson open court, with the outstanding graffiti of the “Greek Freak,” the Head Coach Evina Maltsi welcomed the young athletes for a surprise encounter with Giannis and Alex Antetokounmpo who appeared on court.

The person behind the AntetokounBros Academy met for the first time the children for which he and his brothers created the academy, and they all entered the court for an unforgettable match. Giannis and Alex picked at random two “teammates” each, and so the game began. And this was just a “warm-up”; shortly after that, Giannis called all children on court, along with their trainers. In this training session, the children were given tips and instructions from the greatest player in the world.

The Antetokounmpo brothers truly bonded with the children. They posed challenges to those more experienced and encouraged the shier. Every athlete was given a personal advice, either on their attitude toward basketball or on their attitude toward life. Because at the AntetokounBros Academy there are children from all corners of the world, with unique life stories.

The AntetokounBros Academy program is executed with the contribution of Nike, whose mission is to inspire kids to develop through sports. It involves basketball training twice a week, on weekends, led by the Eurohoops Organization. Moreover, workshops, talks, and scholarships that inspire and encourage the participants are provided by the Onassis Foundation.

The training sessions take place at two—refurbished by Nike—training grounds, the Ellinorosson court and the Lamprini court, with the support of the City of Athens’ Organization of Culture, Sports, and Youth (OPANDA), Division of Social Solidarity, Greek Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (TEBA), and Migrant Integration Center.

You can still apply for 2021-2022 season. Embark on this “journey” of life-changing experiences, by applying for free now!

For more information, visit www.antetokounbrosacademy.net