Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo expressed his respect and admiration for Dwyane Wade before the Miami Heat legend coached his team in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday.
Wade, who is a minority owner with the Utah Jazz, was in Salt Lake City to lead his celebrity team in the annual festivity. Before the game started, however, Antetokounmpo shared a moment with the basketball icon and revealed how much a “big fan” he is.
Antetokounmpo was caught on video telling Wade his championship story, noting that after he won the NBA championship in 2021, he posted an IG story showing Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Hakeem Olajuwon and Tim Duncan. The Bucks star noted that it's his way of honoring those superstars who won the “right way.”
“I'm a huge, huge fan of you, bro. The day after we won the championship, I posted a picture of you on my story–a picture of you, Dirk, Hakeem and Tim. Because you guys–you did it in Miami–you did it the right way. That's how I want to do it. I'm a huge fan of you bro,” Antetokounmpo told Wade.




Giannis gives Dwyane Wade his flowers for winning his first championship “the right way” pic.twitter.com/yEHyE3I8GV
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 18, 2023
In an era of super teams, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks' win in the 2020-21 season certainly stands out. As he told Dwyane Wade, it's just how he wanted to do it–similar to how he did it back in 2006 when he led the Heat to the title.
Antetokounmpo was fanboying throughout the start of the All-Star weekend, and it's certainly awesome to see. While he has ascended to the top of the NBA, he doesn't forget those who inspired him. Before Wade, Giannis met with LeBron James and heaped tons of praises on him as well.