This NBA deal is a real game changer.The Milwaukee Bucks have agreed to trade Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat, according to multiple reports.While the 6-foot-11 forward—lovingly referred to as the "Greek Freak"—has yet to comment on the news directly, he recently hinted he was on the rim of a new chapter."GOD, I trusted you at the beginning," Giannis wrote on Instagram June 22, "and I will continue to trust you throughout."As he laces up for what’s next on the court, he’ll have his MVP, wife Mariah Antetokounmpo, by his side.Born in Greece to Nigerian parents, Giannis grew up worlds away from California native Mariah. However, it was at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas where they met in 2015.Drafted by the Bucks two years prior, the then-20-year-old was there to see his older brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo—one of his four siblings along with Kostas Antetokounmpo, Alex Antetokounmpo and Francis Antetokounmpo—play for the New York Knicks. Meanwhile, Mariah (nĂ©e Mariah Riddlesprigger) was working at the event. And when Giannis saw her, he asked one of his buddies for an assist: to help him get her number.

"I had no game, bro," the 31-year-old admitted in an IShowSpeed livestream in July. "The only game I had was basketball."

"He went out to Mariah, and Mariah was like, 'No, I don’t give my numbers out,'" Giannis recalled in the 2024 documentary Giannis: The Marvelous Journey, with Mariah adding, "I told him to find me on Instagram or something like that."Still, the NBA star rebounded. And when Giannis went on a family trip to Miami a few months later, he invited Mariah to come along."I was really nervous 'cause you just never know what to expect," the 33-year-old, a former Division I volleyball player for Rice University, continued in the doc. "And I get to Miami. When I first walked in, he’s like, 'Oh, this is my mom, and this is my dad.' I’m like, 'What the heck did I just get myself into?'"However, Giannis' love of family ended up scoring some points with Mariah, now mom to their four kids: Liam, 6, Maverick, 4, Eva, 2, and Aria, 14 months.

"That was my first interaction of OK this guy is different," she remembered. "He’s not spending it with friends or his entourage. He was with his family."

Family also took center court in Giannis' emotional acceptance speech for his 2019 MVP honor in which he thanked his brothers, his “hero” mother Veronica Antetokounmpo and his late father Charles Antetokounmpo (who died from a heart attack two years prior). However, the win wasn’t the only thing on Giannis and Mariah’s minds that evening.

"That’s the day I found out I was pregnant with Liam," she continued. "I had written him a card that said, 'MVP or not, you’re gonna be a dad.'"The couple’s firstborn arrived in February 2020. And one month after Giannis and the Bucks were named the 2021 NBA champions, he and Mariah welcomed their younger son."When our boys were born, it really grounded him and made him more balanced," Mariah shared, "because he came home to this little baby who loved him unconditionally, who has no idea who he is. They don’t know the big name. They know him as their dad."The pair added to their family’s squad with the arrival of their first baby girl Eva in September 2023. The birth came days after Giannis confirmed another big announcement: He and Mariah were engaged. Giannis decided to shoot his shot at asking Mariah to be his wife on a trip to Hawaii, telling her they were going out to dinner before then surprising her with a beachfront proposal.

"I saw the flowers in the walkway and was like, 'Oh, that’s what’s happening,'" Mariah once told Milwaukee With Kids. "He did a really great job."

Fast break to 2024 and the couple tied the knot in Greece in a three-day celebration. "Probably the best weekend in my life," Mariah continued. "It was a lot of fun."

Just a year later, the newlyweds expanded their family’s roster to include daughter Aria in March 2025. And while the Antetokounmpo name is world famous, Giannis and Mariah prefer to keep their personal lives private—instead using their platforms to promote causes close to their hearts.  

"We try to create this balance where we know people are interested and we know people want to know things about us," the philanthropist told Marie Claire Greece in October, "but there's certain things that shouldn’t be shared."However, Mariah is happy to share how proud she is to have Giannis as her teammate in life."Let me brag for one second
my man, my man, my man!" she wrote on Instagram in September after Giannis helped Greece take the bronze in the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket. "Everything earned, nothing given! You deserve all of this greatness and more!"And while there are sacrifices along the way, Mariah continued, "every single sacrifice is worth it to see you accomplish your dreams. I promise to be by your side through it all my love. Keep going I’m right here with you, we aren’t done yet!"