Greek-Nigerian born basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo and his long-term partner, Mariah Riddlesprigger, who is the mother of his three children, tied the knot in Greece on Sunday, according to media reports.
The wedding ceremony took place at the luxurious Costa Navarino resort near Pylos in the Peloponnese, following three days of celebrations. The festivities included a white dress party on Friday and a Nigerian-themed celebration on Saturday, Greek media reported.
The “hybrid” Orthodox and Catholic ceremony was attended by around 200 guests, including NBA icon LeBron James and Greece’s national team coach Vassilis Spanoulis. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his family were also reportedly present. Antetokounmpo’s longtime friend and Milwaukee Bucks teammate Khris Middleton served as his best man, as reported by Skai TV.
Antetokounmpo is known as the “Greek Freak” and a global ambassador for Greece, Antetokounmpo has achieved tremendous success in basketball, becoming a two-time NBA MVP. His journey to the top is particularly inspiring, having grown up in poverty as the son of Nigerian immigrants who came to Athens in 1991 in search of a better life. Raised in the working-class neighbourhoods of Athens, he helped his family make ends meet by selling trinkets on the streets.
The NBA star wanted his wedding to be a private affair with no media coverage, according to the Proto Thema newspaper. “Remarkably, everyone working on the wedding has signed a confidentiality agreement to ensure the couple’s complete privacy,” the outlet reported.
