#WhatsNextfortheFreak? Giannis embarks on delightful food tour
By Micah Wimmer
Even before he became an All Star, and one of the most unique players in NBA history, Giannis Antetokounmpo won over the hearts of NBA fans.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was very young, just eighteen years old, when he made his debut as a Milwaukee Buck, and charming as one could be — a foreigner gleefully overwhelmed by the big lights and grandeur of both the NBA and America itself.
Nothing exemplified the excitement he must have felt in such an endearing, and concise, way quite like his tweet from January 20, 2014. Giannis, just a month and a half after his nineteenth birthday, exulted in his tasting “for the first time a smothie[sic].”
The smoothie was so good, the tasting of it such a revelatory experience that it led him to exclaim, in all caps, “GOD BLESS AMERICA.”
https://twitter.com/Giannis_An34/status/425376868334727168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Much has changed for Giannis in the four years since. But while he has transformed from a promising rookie to become a two-time All-Star and the centerpiece of the Bucks franchise, his charm has failed to dissipate at all. He remains engaging and likable.
Still, sadly, for many years, he failed to keep his fans abreast of his latest explorations of American culture, more specifically American cuisine.
Of course, American cuisine is less lauded than that of many other countries, easily mocked for its greasiness and general unhealthiness, its lack of pretension and refinement. But to one not raised on it, its novelty may still be enough to win them over — the batter covered hot dog not representing imminent obesity, but a joyful delight in the moment, a liberating lack of care with regards to one’s gastrointestinal wellbeing.
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All of this is to say that Giannis, on June 4, tried a corn dog for the first time, and it prompted him to tweet about it and say, “God Bless America!”
Although, this time, the use of caps was more restrained, he did manage to include two crying laughing face emojis so I guess it balances out on the whole.
https://twitter.com/Giannis_An34/status/1003827123977502721
Now, it appears that Antetokounmpo is embarking on a #FoodTour of sorts, as he tried “American Red Kool Aid” while watching Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
https://twitter.com/Giannis_An34/status/1004553970709196802
And he has promised to give Funyuns a try in the near future, and to let his fans know what he thinks of them.
https://twitter.com/Giannis_An34/status/1004800479883190273
With the NBA season drawing to a close, thankfully we have Giannis to entertain us throughout the summer as he ebulliently samples a number of American foods and reports back to us with his thoughts. Who knows, maybe if he keeps it up he can get his own show on the Food Network, or at least show up as a guest on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Who wouldn’t watch that?