Today, Giannis Antetokounmpo is enjoying the fruits of his hard efforts over the years in the magical world of NBA.
Starting with Filathlitikos, he is now one of the biggest stars in the world's greatest basketball league and a recognisable man in every corner of the globe.
The story of his past is well know. Growing up in Sepolia, Athens, his family were immigrants from Nigeria, the daily struggled to survive was real.
What is less common is that Giannis Antetokounmpo, before becoming a star had participated as an extra in a film by the Greek-Australian author, Christos Tsiolkas.
The 2012 Australian-British film production "Dead Europe", based on the book of Mr. Tsiolkas, presents the attempt of a man who has travelled to Greece to scatter his father's ashes and discovers a curse that haunts his family.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, as well as Veronica, his mother, have a small role in this film.
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In fact, at the end of the film, his name is mentioned as "Yiannis Adeto Kunbo", a problem that the Americans also faced when he was first introduced himself to them.
"Their life experiences made them perfect for the role," the film's director, Patrick Casey, said years later, on brewhoop.com, when the NBA star's acting skills were discovered.
