Giannis Antetokounmpo is expanding his business empire with his latest business moves. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, he is investing in Avli, the new modern Greek restaurant that opened in Milwaukee’s Brewers Hill neighborhood on September 20.
Before his investment, Antetokounmpo had a working relationship with the Avli Team, which dates back to 2018. He first dined at Avli Taverna in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood and has continued to make regular trips to the restaurant ever since.
“The Avli Milwaukee team is excited and proud to confirm that the group has been working alongside Giannis and his excellent team of professionals, including agent Alex Saratsis and Giorgos Panos, for some time. This has resulted in an investment from their team in Avli Milwaukee,” the restaurant confirmed the partnership in a statement.
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One of Antetokounmpo’s first business moves included buying a stake in Major League Baseball side Milwaukee Brewers after successfully guiding the Milwaukee Bucks to win their first NBA championship in 50 years.
The purchase made the two-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) the first new individual investor added to the Brewers ownership group since Mark Attanasio purchased a controlling interest in the Milwaukee Brewers in 2005.
Antetokounmpo also came to have his own signature shoe from the athletic footwear powerhouse, the Zoom Freaks. He further worked with the deodorant brand Degree to help extend NIL deals to basketball student-athletes. The NBA star has also appeared in several commercials for major brands.
From humble beginnings, Antetokounmpo was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 15th overall pick in 2013 following a stint with Greek basketball team Filathlitikos.
In an interview with The Undefeated in 2019, Antetokounmpo spoke about his upbringing in a Nigerian household in Greece and how it has shaped his life.
“I grew up in a Nigerian home,” he said. “Obviously, I was born in Greece and went to school in Greece. But at the end of the day when I go home, there is no Greek culture. It’s straight-up Nigerian culture. It’s about discipline, it’s about respecting your elders, having morals.”
And though the NBA star is yet to visit his parents’ home country of Nigeria, he expressed his desire to go there soon.
“I want to see where my family comes from, where my mom was raised, see my family, see where my dad was raised. That is very important. I hope my kids can do the same thing for me,” he said. “Obviously, I am going to have kids that are going to grow up in the U.S., but one day I hope they can go back [to Greece] and visit and see where I grew up, the playground I was playing.”
