EDITOR’S NOTE (Nick Stamatakis) Giannis Antetokounmpo, an Orthodox, and his long-time partner, Mariah Riddlesprigger, a Catholic, are long-time partners and have three beautiful kids…. They will finally tie the knot in Greece this weekend, and you can be sure that all the NBA celebrities will be there – and of course PM Mitsotakis couldn’t miss the event (he is definitely not going to Kasselakis wedding in Chania (he will probably be represented by someone else there). The following is from “People” magazine and shows us a wonderful young family…
Giannis is a father of three!
The Milwaukee Bucks forward, who has four brothers of his own (two of whom also play in the NBA) — Francis, Thanasis, Kostas and Alex — shares three children with his fiancée Mariah Riddlesprigger: sons Liam, 4, and Maverick Shai, 3, plus their newborn daughter Eva Brooke.
Antetokounmpo moved to the United States in 2013 from Athens, Greece, to play in the NBA. Throughout his career, the father of two has racked up several accolades, including MVP, NBA Champion, Finals MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. His skill on the hardwood has even earned him the moniker, “The Greek Freak.”
While Antetokounmpo rarely shares photos of his kids on social media, his fiancée has been vocal about how much she loves their family. “Giannis, I seriously adore everything about you. My life would be dull without your light. The father you are to our boys is breathtaking. Happy Birthday My Love I promise this year is going to be magical 💛,” Riddlespringer wrote on Instagram in honor of Antetokounmpo’s birthday in December 2022.
Here’s everything to know about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s kids.
Liam, 4
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Antetokounmpo’s first son, Liam, was born on Feb. 10, 2020.
Despite Antetokounmpo’s successful basketball career, the Bucks star has made it clear that he would do anything for his son. He told Bucks announcer Jim Paschke in May 2021, “If my son asked me, ‘Dad, when are you going to retire and play more with me?’ I’d retire right now.”
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On June 22, 2022, then-2-year-old Liam joined his father, mother, little brother and uncles at the premiere of Rise, a Disney+ Original film about the Antetokounmpo family and their journey to becoming the first trio of brothers who are NBA champions.
Antetokounmpo, Liam and brother Maverick all wore matching green suits to the event, and the little boys were carried onto the carpet by their parents.
Maverick Shai, 3
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Antetokounmpo and Riddlesprigger welcomed their second child together, son Maverick, on Aug. 18, 2021.
Riddlesprigger first revealed she and the Bucks player were expecting another baby in May 2021. “Liam and Baby #2, thank you for giving me purpose! 💛,” she wrote in an Instagram post while also announcing her lifestyle brand, Sincerely Mariah.
Three months after Maverick’s arrival, the parents organized a diaper drive to celebrate his birth and give back to their community. “Becoming a mom made me realize how expensive basic needs for babies and children are,” she wrote on Instagram. “Diapers, wipes, food, etc. should be accessible and affordable for all families. I realize that I am privileged and fortunate enough to be able to afford those basic needs. With that privilege, I believe it is also my duty to give back and help other mothers and families provide those basic needs for their children.”
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Maverick may be young, but he’s already joined his brother at Bucks games and on the red carpet. (He attended the Rise premiere with his family at 10 months old!)
In October 2022, the family of four dressed up as Paw Patrol characters for Halloween, with Maverick as Marshall and older brother Liam as Chase.
Following the 2023 NBA season, Antetokounmpo spent his time rehabbing a knee injury — and Maverick kept him company in the gym.
“Rehab with a lot of Mav, Paw Patrol and shooting 🤎,” the basketball player wrote on Instagram alongside a series of photos with his toddler.
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In August 2023, Antetokounmpo and Riddlesprigger marked Maverick’s 2nd birthday with a joint Instagram post. They shared photos and a video of the toddler, including a sweet snap of Maverick playing at the beach.
“HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our favorite sour patch baby!” the proud parents wrote in the caption. “The joy and smiles this little boy brings to this world is unmatched. We love you so so so much our little hungry hungry hippo.”
Eva Brooke
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In September 2023, the proud parents announced on Instagram that they had welcomed daughter Eva Brooke.
They shared a photo of their baby girl in her car seat as Maverick and Liam posed on either side of their new sister.
“Welcome Home Eva Brooke Antetokounmpo 🤍 Daddy’s Little Girl and Brothers’ Baby Sister 👦🏽👦🏽👧🏽,” Antetokounmpo captioned the photo.
The couple had first announced they were expecting their third baby together in May. In a joint post, Antetokounmpo and Riddlesprigger shared a photo of themselves and their two sons in front of a pink-and-blue balloon arch and a sign that said “BABY.”
“Our dreams becoming reality 🤍,” they wrote in the caption.
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NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is set to marry his longtime partner, Mariah Riddlesprigger, in a private ceremony at Costa Navarino, Greece.
The wedding, scheduled to take place over three days from August 30 to September 1, will be shrouded in secrecy, with over 200 guests, including top celebrities like LeBron James, expected to attend. The event has been meticulously planned to maintain privacy, featuring strict security measures, a white dress code, and traditional Nigerian attire.
The ceremony itself will be a unique hybrid event rather than a traditional religious or civil wedding, reflecting the couple’s diverse backgrounds—Giannis being Orthodox Christian and Mariah Catholic. Costa Navarino’s “W” hotel was chosen for its ability to provide a secluded environment, far from media attention and social media exposure.
To ensure complete discretion, guests will be asked to leave their phones behind, and official photos will be handled by photographers selected by the couple. Among the expected high-profile attendees are NBA legend LeBron James, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and various figures from the worlds of sports and politics. Guests will arrive via private flights to Kalamata airport, with helicopter transfers provided to the luxurious venue.
The celebration underscores Antetokounmpo’s desire to keep his personal life private, despite his global prominence. After nearly a decade together and three children, the couple’s intimate and low-key wedding is poised to stand in contrast to the typical high-profile celebrity weddings, making it a memorable event for those invited.
(Source: Protothema)
Από την Νιγηρία στο “Costa Navarino..”
Το ευ ……..των αρχαίων δεν ήταν η Χλίδα ….. αλλά η απλότητα.
Η χλίδα είναι μια προσωρινή ανθρώπινη ματαιοδοξία.
Thank goodness the Greek Freak married his baby mama & is no longer another black, unwed father statistic !
“…The ceremony itself will be a unique hybrid event rather than a traditional religious or civil wedding, reflecting the couple’s diverse backgrounds—Giannis being Orthodox Christian and Mariah Catholic. Costa Navarino’s “W” hotel was chosen for its ability to provide a secluded environment, far from media attention and social media exposure….”
What exactly does “hybrid event” mean?
Well stated Markos. It will be interesting to see what do they actually do. I am already very suspicious that the known evil-doers might be involved to promote their political goals.
THIS CAT IS NO FAMILY OR RELIGIOUS EXAMPLE FOR OUR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS, DESPITE HIS SPORTS SUCCESS.
THIS IS JUST EURO-TRASH BEHAVIOR AND LIFESTYLE.
NO THANKS
AND IF THIS IS “GREEK” , NO THANKS AGAIN.
LET’S SEE IF ELPI SHOWS UP TO BLESS THIS MESS.
You are right – the main question is whether Elpi is officiating… And also what exactly they mean by merging the Orthodox and Catholic ceremonies. However, the fact that they are getting married is a positive thing. They could stay as they are (prime example of American inner-city trash – not only Euro trash) and not bother getting married at all. As for the rest, Giannis has displayed several times his Greek patriotism and he also plays for the Greek national team, while at other times, esp. here in America, we have seen him (probably trying to be politically correct) to display his Nigerian descent.
If one reads his family history and upbringing, he will learn that his Nigerian mother (and father – but esp. his mother) raised the kids Greek and Orthodox and was singing to them Greek lullabies when they were babies…We are all appreciative of such stories… The equivalent would be Greek immigrants to America who would raise their kids to appreciate the country they were born and grew up in and instill them with American values.
Nick, all those are worthy observations but I think we have the right to expect a better example (PARATHEGMA) from this young man. I just don’t like these optics and refuse to endorse their “Greekness”.
i agree – but in the situation we are in right now we have to avoid the worse. If Giannis projects to the public and especially to the troubled black community, a positive paradigm of a good father and husband, America will win a lot more than we can now imagine. As a basketball fan since age 12, I have followed his steps and I know much of his behavior in the courts of the poor neighborhoods of Athens. He has a good head on his shoulders and a high level of morality. To the point that he might be able to resist the corrupting power of the untold wealth he has earned as an NBA star. A minor example is his huge philanthropic work in Greece and here – much of which is not known due to his humility. Again, we owe much to his great Nigerian mother – a huge model of Christian behavior…
Nick, I like Giannis, but having 3 children out of wedlock does not demonstrate morality. Apparently, your definition of morality is different from mine
It’s much better than the kids having no father of sense of family as is the norm in the black community here. Also, you have to allow people to correct their mistakes. But in Giannis’ case, having read many stories about his upbringing in Greece, I am confident this story will have a happy ending. Giannis grew up trying to help his family by selling trinkets in the streets of central Athens. And has shown many signs of a moral character. Nobody among us can pretend they are saints. But many are hypocrites – and top among them the leaders of the Patriarchate and GOA. Giannis is not a hypocrite and this alone sets him apart.
Giannis is a basketball player. Not a model of family bliss. The fact that he is marrying is positive. Even if he had kids by wedlock. So what? He seems to be a great father.
I am amazed that Giannis and his brothers love Greece so much. I’m sure they were discriminated and looked down upon. We know how dismissive Greeks can be towards others, especially Albanians, and all other non Europeans. Yet, he has a great heart, a charitable spirit and lots of love for his family and for Greece. We couldn’t ask for a different ambassador.
Back in the 60’s into the 80’s Greeks were everywhere. Maria Kallas, Onasis, Niarchos and all the other ultra wealthy shipowners. Plus we had a vice president who would have been president of the US, if only he wasn’t cheating on his taxes. We had famous actors and you saw Greek names everywhere. Alas, no more. No Greeks in the senate and only one or two in Congress. Not even a George Stephanopoulos type, or Mike Dukakis.No more ultra wealthy jet setters. No more pioneers in art. Now, its all Asian Indians. They’re everywhere. Greeks are nowhere. Now only Giannis, who loves his country of birth as much as Onasis and Niarchos loved it.
So, I assume your rational mind justifies his behavior. I, who am not with out sin, can recognize sin when I see it. Let’s see what kind of marriage service he has.
The type of service would be interesting for political and religious reasons – as Bartholomew will try – unsuccessfully I believe – to unify with the Catholics. If there is an intervention from the Phanar or from Athens the interest will be on them more than Giannis. In the end Giannis, if he manages to project the image of the good father and husband that he is capable for, based on his upbringing, he will be a positive model of behavior for all and especially for the black Americans.
Once upon a time in Greek society, and actually not too long ago, the only honorable and acceptable way to remedy a pregnancy out of wedlock was for the couple to get married quickly, well before “the shame” could be “visible”. Plenty of classic Greek comedy films from the 1950s and 1960s have memorialized this older tradition, with the phrase, “και την Κυριακη στην Εκκλησια” (…”and this Sunday [you will be] in Church [to have the wedding at short notice]…”)
Of course, times have changed (for the “spiritual worse”), and revised societal standards for “morality” have obviously downgraded the importance of formally asking for God’s blessing prior to starting a family. That is also why “civil marriages” have become a lot more popular too. “Weddings are expensive, so we can get “married” in city hall, and deal with the traditional “expensive ceremony” at a later time”….Of course, money is not the factor in Giannis’ case, but on the other hand, he is only a product of the Athenian reality he grew up in…the last 25 years it has become a frequent phenomenon to observe baptisms of offspring and weddings of parents on the same day…Add on top of that the lower levels of spirituality observed by the youth in Greece, and you have the recipe for a “new definition of acceptable morality” as well as a “new understanding of what an Orthodox Christian means” in everyday Greek society….it is not a surprise that someone growing up with those examples surrounding him would not feel the “urgency” to revert to “older societal norms” of prior generations…
Things will only keep getting worse from here, if the continued degradation of spirituality and morality isn’t interpreted as a “high priority problem to solve” by the majority of society…
Markos
Spirituality and morality are not problems to be solved by the majority of a society. Each person is responsible for his or hers personal choices.
I’m of the older generation. I would love to see old style marriage continue. And my whole family, including my mid 20’s nieces and my children got married in the church. But, we, as a society can not change the trends, except withing our own families. Others are free to do as they want.
I’d rather have the “problem” of lower spirituality as you describe it, in Greece or in America, than see young people being force to conform to what we view as “proper”.
I have noted several times in the last 12 months that we have seen the societal pendulum swing all the way to the left side. It is now ready to swing back to the middle and it will likely go to the other side. The signs are there. For the first time in decades we can see in this election cycle the younger generation (18-35 yrs old) to definitely reject the leftists and wokism in general. If Trump wins and takes power, this trend will accelerate. Otherwise it will turn into a vibrant resistance movement that will thrive underground. One effect will be the return of the youth to the Churches. And the most important return to family values. In this perspective, I see Giannis as an ally. He has the potential to turn into a powerful symbol under the right circumstances. We shall see.
Nick
I agree that the pendulum swings eventually. But it never goes back to the original.
The mores of the 40s,50’s and early 60’s are gone. Because if today’s youth is accustomed to not going to church, or marrying without a priest and a church, they won’t transmit the customs of their grandparents to their kids.
And its also a bit contradictory that you name Trump as the catalyst for that change. Trump is a thrice married man, who has cheated on all his wives, and he is not a church goer. Moreover, I don’t see any reason why the movement to the old values would have to go underground if Trump loses. Unless it envolves violence. Otherwise, America still has laws on individual liberty. No need to go underground.
I also oppose wokism, but that term is a go-to for everything that the other side espouses. What America needs is to spell out what people oppose specifically, and not throw everything under a one-word term.
Have you heard of the “roaring 1920s”? This is not the first time humanity descended into decadence and degeneracy. It has happened many times all the way back to Rome and its decadent emperors especially Calligula and Nero. And then a great disaster is coming, E.g. the Great Depression, or a war and people are destroyed and starve. Then they suddenly realize they deviated from God’s way and they repent. Unfortunately we may have to go through bad times soon… For one, the stupid neocons of DC may lead us to a nuclear war…