Giannis Antetokounmpo’s nickname: Reference to his origins
As a member of the Duke Blue Devils, shooting guard Trajan Langdon had a memorable college basketball career that culminated with a trip to the Final Four in 1999. However, as much as he is remembered for being an exceptional 3-point shooter, he is also remembered for having one of the coolest nicknames in college basketball: “The Alaskan Assassin.”
What’s significant about Langdon’s nickname is that it clearly identified where he was from. In the 1990s not very many players from Alaska were playing division one basketball, especially not at a perennial powerhouse like Duke. Langdon’s home state made him stand out immediately. Fortunately, he had the game to back it up.
It’s been a long time since a basketball player’s nickname was so clearly tied to his background. However, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s incredible story is inextricably linked to his family’s rise out of poverty in Greece to their emergence to prominence and power today. From his humble beginnings, Giannis learned hard work. Now “The Greek Freak” is seeing the fruits of his labor. It is a great sports story and a modern-day tale of rags to riches.
While basketball historians will always remember the great monikers of the past, the most fitting nickname of the present day belongs to Giannis Antetokounmpo. While he is freakishly athletic and accomplished on the court, he is level-headed and well-rounded off of it. He’s got one NBA championship yet he’s still hungry for more. “The Greek Freak” is a man on a mission. Milwaukee Bucks fans are more than happy to continue watching him dominate.