Celebrity Gossip & Gist

“My parents fought about which language we should learn” — Giannis Antetokounmpo reveals as he opens Igbo learning center

Published

11 months ago

January 20, 2024

Nigerian basketball player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, says his parents fought over which language to teach them as he opens Igbo learning center.

The athlete who was born to a Yoruba father and an Igbo mother, emigrated to Greece 35 years ago.

He claims his surname is originally Adetokounbo, but he was required to spell it using Greek letters for his visa and that was the origin of the famous ‘Antetokounmpo’.

He revealed how his father didn’t want them to learn Igbo and his mother didn’t want them to learn Yoruba so they didn’t grow up learning any Nigerian language.

Although, his mother sneaked behind to teach them how to count in Igbo and tell them about her roots.

His foundation, CAFF and WhatsApp partnered with nonprofit, NABU to open the learning center in Lagos, UGO, which is his name.

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Watching the documentary released yesterday by Giannis, titled, "UGO," I couldn't help a feeling of pride about how far we've come. We've done sth. If you know, you know 😘. Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the most decorated NBA players. His father is Yoruba and his mum is Igbo. pic.twitter.com/9ADZCSpDTW

— Spotlight Abby (@Spotlight_Abby) January 18, 2024