Giannis Antetokounmpo almost signed with Adidas instead of Nike / News - Basketnews.com

Giannis was about to sign a deal with Adidas, but refused instead because they didn't give a contract to his brother Thanasis, changing their minds at the very last minute.

Credit: Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix Credit Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix

Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the most celebrated basketball players in the entire world, synonymous with Nike apparel and its swoosh. In the early stages of his career, he was very close to signing with Adidas, though.

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When Giannis was still an up-and-coming prospect in Greece, he was sporting Adidas apparel. When he was 17 years old, he was approached by Adidas representatives in Greece.

"I was always wearing Adidas. They approached me, we had a nice dinner. We brought the whole family out, and then we were talking, we were thinking about how we could take it to the next level, how I can make it to the league, how I can play in the EuroLeague," Giannis said in the Thanalysis Show, hosted by his brother and teammate, Thanasis Antetokounmpo.

"At the time, we were playing in the 2nd Division if I remember well, and then they told [us] there was this camp. In the US, they have Nike Hoop Summit, Basketball Without Borders. They told us me and Thanasis were [going to be] participating in that camp. We were excited, 'Ok, we can go there and showcase our talent and hopefully somebody can see us. Maybe get drafted, maybe play overseas in the EuroLeague.'

It was just an opportunity. At the time, we had no passports, no documents, we couldn't really travel. Then, Thanasis got a contract, I got a contract. We got back home, we were celebrating," the superstar remembered. "The contract back then was three to five thousand. We got free clothes, we were happy. We got free food, free clothes, we got a ride to the headquarters in Greece."

When Giannis, Thanasis, and their family showed up, they could sense that something changed in the approach of the Adidas representative.

"We walked and this guy we were talking to, I could see his energy changed, he was really short with mom, really short with me. He was like, 'Go to the office and wait.' We were waiting for 45 minutes, and then he brought the contract and he put it in front of me," Giannis said.

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"I was like, 'Ok, great, [but] where is my brother's [contract]?' And he was like, 'No, we're not going to sign your brother today. We will sign yours first, and then we'll bring your brother during the weekend to sign his.' No, thank you," the Milwaukee Bucks superstar said. "A lot of people say Giannis made a mistake not signing with Adidas instead of Nike. He got fired two-three years later. I love him, he was one of the nicest guys to me and my family."

Asked why, he thinks, the representative only wanted to sign him instead of both him and Thanasis, Giannis was honest - the Adidas representative knew their family's situation very well.

"I think it was because he knew we had no say. At the end of the day, if you had put some toilet paper and some cash next to it in front of us, I would've probably signed it. He knew we were in need. At the time, I wasn't able to take care of my family in the best way, so he knew that. He knew our story," Giannis said. "He knew how we were when we went and grabbed dinner with him. He knew how, basically, desperate we were, and people above him maybe tried to use it as an advantage."

Full Thanalysis Show with Giannis Antetokounmpo:

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