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Giannis' new Nike Zoom Freak 6s: moving tribute to late dad for Olympics (PHOTOS)

The Greek Freak dropped sick new kicks before the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics with a design that pays homage to his late father.
Matthew Graham|
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo gets ready to play the Memphis Grizzlies at Fiserv Forum.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo gets ready to play the Memphis Grizzlies at Fiserv Forum. | Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

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Milwaukee Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo almost quit the NBA with the sudden passing of his father in 2017.

The 29-year-old Milwaukee Bucks superstar admitted that when Charles Antetokounmpo, only 54 years old, unexpectedly died, he experienced understandably strong emotions after such a tragic life event.

"I said, 'I don't want to play no more,'” said Giannis. Luckily for basketball fans everywhere, The Greek Freak turned it into inspiration, and now he’s commemorated his father with the unveiling of his sick new Nike Zoom Freak 6s.

Nike has been on fire lately with their shoe reveals, with this one coming off the heels of Vanessa Bryant dropping the new Kobe Nikes on WNBA All-Star Game weekend, worn by Indiana Fever phenom Caitlin Clark.

RELATED: Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese: who wore sicker kicks for WNBA All-Star Game?

Giannis for his part, ever the great teammate, gifted the entire Greece men’s national basketball team and staff a pair of the fresh sneakers, and the reactions were hilarious, most notably from small forward Kostas Papanikolaou. He had whined about his worn out Nikes, telling Giannis he’d better do something about it.

For the memory of his late father, Giannis most certainly did: treating his teammates with kindness while celebrating the legacy of Charles.

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Matthew Graham
MATTHEW GRAHAM

Matthew Graham has over 20 years of media experience and oversees The Athlete Lifestyle On SI. He has had previous leadership roles at NBC Sports, Yahoo, and USA TODAY, where he co-founded For The Win (named Best Mobile Site by Digiday). He has also written for ESPN, Cosmopolitan, US Weekly, People, E! Online, and FHM, covering major sports and entertainment events like the Oscars, the Golden Globes, NBA Finals, Super Bowl, and winning the Yahoo Superstar Award for coverage of the Olympics.

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