How did Giannis Antetokounmpo meet his wife, Mariah? He told YouTuber IShowSpeed the story
How did Milwaukee's royal couple meet?
We're, of course, referring to Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and his wife, Mariah, a philanthropy queen.
During an hours-long "irl" livestream with YouTuber and streamer IShowSpeed — who has 42.6 million subscribers — in Giannis' home country of Greece, the two-time NBA MVP gave Speed's viewers a glimpse into how he became acquainted with his longtime partner.
"We met in Vegas," Giannis revealed with a grin and some laughs. Giannis, now 30, was 21 at the time.
Mariah was in Las Vegas, working in the NBA Summer League. Giannis was there watching his older brother, Thanasis, play for the New York Knicks.
"After the game, I saw (Mariah) walking and stuff, and I had my friend go and ask for her number," Giannis told Speed. "At the time, she kind of rejected me."
When Speed gave Giannis crap for not approaching Mariah himself, Giannis defended himself, saying he was "kind of shy back then" and "had no game." Well, besides basketball.
"I was married to the game," Giannis said.
Giannis is now married to Mariah — the two tied the knot last year — and have four kids together.
Earlier on in the stream, Speed was the one in the hot seat when Giannis asked him about his relationship status. Speed swerved that one.
Later, as the two awaited a rooftop Greek feast, Giannis played wingman, giving Speed a romantic date idea in case he found a wife while in town. But, 20-year-old Speed said he couldn't see himself getting married until he's Giannis' age.
"At 30, 35 years, you'll be ready," Giannis told Speed. "You're going to want somebody to be next to you, support you. You want somebody to make memories with."
"I feel like at 30, I'm going to be married, chat," Speed agreed. "I'm not going to cap."
But, Speed feels marriage is "low-key a scam."
"You've got to find the right one," Giannis advised, adding that who Speed dates or marries should be his best friend.
Also during the stream, there was a viral moment in which Speed dunked on the basketball court where Giannis made his first dunk. Giannis showed Speed landmarks — some personal and others famous, including the Parthenon — in between getting inundated by fans. And, Speed asked Giannis the big question: If he's staying in Milwaukee.
Antetokounmpo has played his entire 12-year NBA career with the Bucks, winning a championship in 2021.