Director of Giannis Antetokounmpo documentary talks about 'ultimate immigrant story'

In November, Kristen Lappas came to Milwaukee feeling terrified.

She had just finished directing the documentary “Giannis: The Marvelous Journey” and went to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s house to show him the final edit of the film.

“It’s terrifying because you pour your heart and soul into these projects for two years and you’re just hoping and praying the family thinks you did it right and you did the story justice,” Lappas said. “And in true Antetokounmpo fashion, it was the whole family and then me and my boss … and watching them watch their family’s journey, it was truly one of the most amazing moments of my life and my career.”

Lappas interviewed the entire Antetokounmpo family, including his mother, Veronica, and his fiancée, Mariah Riddlesprigger, about the Antetokounmpos' journey to Greece, their lives as undocumented immigrants, being drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks and winning a championship.

“They’re such a welcoming, special family. So different than other athletes I’ve worked with,” Lappas said.

The film also features teammates Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, and many others who have had an impact on Antetokounmpo’s life.

The film, which comes out on Prime Video Feb. 19, was produced by Improbable Media, co-founded by Giannis Antetokounmpo and ESPN basketball analyst Jay Williams.

Here is a conversation, edited for length, with Lappas.

What were some of the biggest things that surprised you with this story?

It’s hard because I feel like the broad strokes of his story are very well documented. His story has been told, but never from his and his family’s words and their perspective. So I was hoping that they were going to say things that surprised me, and that 1,000% was the case.

He’s a really thoughtful and profound and introspective person. And he surprised me with how reflective he was on his dad’s passing, which I feel like he hasn’t talked about very much at all.

That was something going in, I had no idea what role his father’s death was going to play into the film and how much time we were going to spend on it. But after talking to the family, it was a defining moment that affected and impacted him both as a man and a player. I think him going there on his father’s passing was surprising to me.

You ask him a question like, “How do you describe yourself?” And he uses the word “extreme,” and the mentality “you don’t work, you don’t eat” is just words for people, but for him and his family, that’s how they lived.

I knew the broad strokes of his story, but I learned so much in actually getting to sit down with the family, which I don’t think has ever been done before. I know his mom and his fiancée have never done a longform on-camera interview.

There’s a moment in the film when Giannis breaks down and was crying about a game that him and Thanasis invented for their younger brothers to run home so they wouldn’t get beat up by people who were anti-immigrant in Greece. I was struck by that moment because it’s still something that has an impact on him. What did you make of that part of his story?

Because I’m Greek, I knew about the Golden Dawn and the anti-immigrant groups in Greece, and I really wanted to explore that. That was really important for me going into this, that we were able to explore the really complicated relationship he feels with the country of Greece.

I honestly didn’t know if they were going to go there or not. They really haven’t before, and there’s a lot of reasons for that. They still go back to Greece every summer. It is Milwaukee and Athens that are their homes. So I don’t think they want to alienate the people there.

I interviewed Alex, his younger brother, first. And Alex was really, really honest about their experiences as immigrants in Greece. He was the one who told me about the story first, about the game that his older brothers made up so that he and Kostas could be safe.

And we actually played the clip of Alex explaining the game to Giannis, and that’s how I got him to open up about it, because I feel like he saw his brother going there and it made him feel like, “OK, we’re going to be honest and tell the real story of how it was.”

I was totally taken aback by his reaction, but also, I knew deep down inside, there were feelings toward the way they grew up that they have never come out before. It was a really emotional moment. I was tearing up as he was tearing up.

I didn't know a lot about Giannis and Mariah’s relationship or how they met. What did you see between those two?

She is the rock of that entire family. I am so impressed by her. She has been there for him every step of the way. She tells the emotional story about having to tell Giannis that his father had passed and picking him up from the practice facility.

He said in the movie, the first time she hung out with him, he was with his entire family. According to him, it was love at first sight. She came that first weekend and spent time with his mom and his brothers and his dad.

From there, their love has grown, their respect has grown. I wish we would have gotten into it more because he got really, really emotional in the interview talking about her. How selfless she is, what she does for his mom, for his children, for him. She really is the glue that holds it together and really an unsung hero, in my opinion, and she’s also the person that keeps it real with him.

It was so fun and interesting to see their dynamic. No one challenges him or corrects him. When you get to that point of stardom you have people around you that defer to you, and she is the only one that is taking him back down to reality. She plays an important role in his life but is so supportive.

What did you learn from Giannis’ mom and how she plays a role in the family’s future and current state?

He said it in his MVP speech, she is his idol. He looks up to her especially now with his dad gone. She is the matriarch of the family. She didn’t need to say much in her interview for me to feel the pain that she experienced as a young mom in Greece and the pride she feels for her family now.

She is so wise and has been through so much. I think Giannis really does look up to her. She is the person that makes sure he’s grounded and remembers where he comes from. He doesn’t take anything for granted. He's not somebody who’s flashy or spends a lot of money, and that’s all because of his mom. He see the struggles she went through for them and that’s the thing that keeps him grounded.

How would you describe Milwaukee’s role in their story, aside from the Bucks being the team that drafted him and signed his brother? It seemed like Milwaukee was more than the city where he worked.

It’s their home. They really do feel like it is their home. He said to me, “No matter where I go in my career, or where I end up retiring, I’m always going to have a home in Milwaukee.” It’s the place that accepted him. He’s a very, very loyal person. He doesn’t forget who helped him when he was nobody.

For me, when I was starting this and doing all of my research, it was so evident that Milwaukee was a character in this story as much as anybody. And exploring that unlikely love affair between Giannis and Milwaukee was something that I found fascinating.

The endearing stories of the seminary (Cousins Center) where they first practiced and him running to the game and getting picked up by a fan, all of those little details helped bring that relationship and why they work so well together. I hope it brings it to light for people who aren’t from Milwaukee.

I loved those little stories and idiosyncrasies of Milwaukee and how, for someone who comes from nothing, it worked so perfectly.

This story is “Giannis: The Marvelous Journey,” but it’s an immigrant story of an entire family. Both coming from Africa to Greece, trying to have a life in Greece as outsiders, and then going from Greece to America and being outsiders again. Given the current discourse in this country about immigration and migration, where do you think this film falls when it comes to that discussion?

I hope it does make a point. I hope people see that this is the ultimate immigrant story. This is what happens when you welcome an immigrant family that has so much to offer and look what he’s done. Who knows who the next Giannis Antetokounmpo is?

And it’s so important to him and his family. The foundation that he created in honor of his dad, it’s to help immigrant kids in Milwaukee, Athens and in Nigeria, and it’s something that’s so close to his heart. He said it best, “If me and my brothers aren’t going to help immigrant children in Greece now, who’s going to do it?”

Mariah says: “Immigrants aren’t criminals and they’re not after your jobs. They’re looking for a better life, just like you.” She just says it so eloquently. And it is absolutely the case. This is an immigrant story, and it’s about an unlikely place in Milwaukee that really accepted this family. And look at what it grew into — and how beautiful of a story is that?

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Director says Giannis documentary is 'ultimate immigrant story'