Giannis Antetokounmpo

The story of the real-life N.B.A. superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo is told with heartfelt charm in this endearing Disney+ biopic.

The movie makes clear the importance to Giannis of family — much of the drama revolves around how Giannis’s ascent imperils his undocumented Nigerian family’s illegal residency in Greece — and Dayo Okeniyi, as the Antetokounmpo patriarch Charles, is especially lovely in a role that exudes parental tenderness. Uche Agada, as Giannis, strikes just the right balance between powerful athleticism (demonstrated in some well-choreographed on-court action) and breezy elan (demonstrated, above all else, in the actor’s winning smile) that are the real Giannis’s defining characteristics. This childlike charm, as much as his generational talent, is what has endeared Giannis to legions of N.B.A. fans, including many who don’t support the Bucks. “Rise,” the director Akin Omotoso’s biopic about Antetokounmpo, understands this well. It’s about why Giannis is so lovable. “Giannis: The Improbable Rise of an NBA MVP,” Mirin Fader’s biography of Giannis Antetokounmpo, portrays the Greek-born basketball superstar as a young man of sweet-natured innocence and irrepressible enthusiasm. Yo mama!’”

Rise, the story of Giannis, Thanasis and Kostas Antetokounmpo and how they made history premieres on June 24.

And eventually they told me I got the part, which is absolutely incredible.” And for me, I was never an actor prior to this, so this was very weird for me. It was also about the journey of his family. Since dominating the NBA, Giannis Antetokounmpo has become a favorite as one of the world’s finest basketball players. “So, I just clicked on a link and I just sent a video, just talking about myself,” Uche revealed. “I was just layin’ in bed one day and I was goin’ on Instagram. And I see a screenshot of a tweet that Giannis put out saying that Disney’s making a movie about his life and his family’s life and they’re looking for someone to play him and his brothers,” Uche said.

Based on the life of Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Disney+ drama 'Rise' charts his against-all-odds journey from Greece to the NBA.

Efthimis Chalkidis brings puckish charm to his role as Haris, the newbie agent who, in a long shot, sets the ball in motion for Giannis’ NBA entry. At first, Thanasis demonstrated more innate hoop ability than the younger Giannis as the brothers began to train and play in earnest with a local youth basketball club. This involving picture should leave all but the most jaded viewers with a smile on their face and a lump in their throat.

“Congrats to the Golden State Warriors,” Antetokounmpo said on ESPN's “NBA Today” on Friday. “It's been an unbelievable dynasty for them, for those three guys ...

For every team, for every player, you want to accomplish the same things like this. He has been around long enough to know what the Warriors built to get to where they are today. They’re setting the example for us.”

Rise was released Friday and Giannis Antetokounmpo accompanied by Milwaukee Bucks teammate Thanasis, other brothers Kostas and Alex, and their mother Veronica ...

Catching the movie offers a unique perceptive on the path of Giannis from Greece to Milwaukee, and more on his ‘Rise’. After breaking down iconic plays becoming viral through the years, Giannis and Thanasis commented on a couple of outtakes of the biographical sports-drama film. “Being able to bring a championship to this city.

The chance to review something from Walt Disney Studios these days that doesn't come from Marvel, Star Wars or animation brands is a refreshing change, ...

The family in endorsing this movie only wanted it to be an origin story, not one focusing on the later successes, and so much of the second half focuses on interactions with the help of an agent named Kevin Stefanides (a very fine Manish Dayal), who guides them towards the impossible when Giannis enters the NBA Draft in 2013 — a far fetched long shot that turns into a nail-biting sequence. At the heart of it all however is a universal story of family love, hope, struggles, dreams, setbacks and triumphs. Nevertheless, when not trying to make money on the streets of Athens, they join a local youth team where the dream is born.

Uche and Ral Agada stepped into the big shoes of Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo. They talked to For The Win about that journey.

I was so impressed you guys had their characteristics and mannerisms on the court down to a tee. We were in the gym a lot from when we first got there. But our director had talked to them about it prior to the playoffs starting so he had plenty of notes for us. Uche: They were very hands-on when it came to the movie. We were definitely fans of Giannis and his brother prior to this and basketball fans in general. And on top of that, talking to our director about his views on different things and how he wants things. Uche: I knew they had humble beginnings, but I didn’t know they struggled the way that they did. Giannis was one of those players we talked about all the time. UA: I would the process was just weird, man…I had just graduated from high school, well, it was class of 2020. But I will say, that first day on set I was in my trailer sweating rehearsing my lines and whatnot. “I didn’t know how hard it was for them being undocumented,” Ral Agada told For The Win in our conversation together. By 2013, he was a first-round pick in the NBA draft.

Disney+ exclusive "Rise," the story of Giannis Antetokounmpo and his family, falls into the second category.

Of course, there is the basketball, and the Ugada brothers have a background in the game. "We're just going to do the brotherly thing that we always do." Over the better part of the last decade, we've learned the Antetokounmpo name, but "Rise" gives viewers an opportunity to learn their story. Through struggle and sacrifice came triumph and achievement, all because of the family-first attitude instilled by their parents. Ral Agada echoed a similar sentiment, explaining that the strength of the Antetokounmpo family prepared both Giannis and Thanasis for their big breaks, as he shared that "luck is when preparation meets opportunity." The familial elements of the movie couldn't be stronger, as Thanasis and Giannis are portrayed by real-life brothers Ral and Uche Agada, both of whom made their actorial debuts in "Rise."