By Mallory Mattingly
Milwaukee Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo recently opened up about how becoming a dad has changed him.
“I love hugging my kids and kissing them and cuddling them and playing with them and wrestling them,” the basketball player told Parents in an interview. “Growing up, I didn’t have that as much from my dad. So this is a soft side of me with my kids that a lot of people don’t know about. I want to keep it that way, just for my kids.”
“But also,” he added, “I think I’m a dad that’s straight to the point, big on respect, like respect your mom, respect your dad, respect your elders, and making sure they’re grateful and appreciative of all the things.”
Antetokounmpo often turns to his wife, Mariah, for parenting advice.
“I have an incredible wife that pretty much shows me the ropes of how to take care of my kids,” he said.
Antetokounmpo wants to parent his kids with the same love and comfort he experienced growing up.
“Even though I wasn’t raised with a lot, I felt loved; I felt a home full of joy,” he explained. “It was always lively in the house.”
He calls his wife and kids his “motivation.”
But the athlete doesn’t want his kids to grow up in the world of fame.
Related: NBA Superstar Steph Curry Calls Time At Home ‘The Best Part’ Of Being A Dad
“Anything that has to do with fame and attention, it’s not in my house,” he told Parents. “I don’t want my kids to grow up in that environment. I want them to feel like home is always their base; whenever they come back home, they can feel safe, they can feel comfortable, they can be confident, they can be themselves, and it’s something that I’m going to continue to do.”
Antetokounmpo hopes his life and dedication to his sport inspires his children as they grow.
“I don’t really mind if they’re good at basketball. I don’t mind if they are doctors or lawyers or engineers or whatever they choose to be. I just want them to fall in love with the process of getting better in whatever they choose to do,” he explained. “That’s what I’ve done my whole career. I’ve always tried to improve my game, my leadership, and I just want them to be able to copy that. It might not be basketball; it might be something else that they love, but I want them to wake up every single day and figure out ways to improve and enjoy the process and love what they do.”
Antetokounmpo and Mariah just welcomed their fourth child, Aria Capri, on May 1. And though he’s a dad of four, he’s still learning new things about parenting every day.
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