Star Giannis Antetokounmpo visited Nigeria, his parents’ homeland, for the first time

Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the greatest and most well-liked stars in the NBA. He won two league MVP awards and was named the most valuable player in the playoffs in 2021 in addition to helping his team to victory. The 29-year-old’s parents are from Nigeria, but he has never been there. He was raised in Greece.

The time has come.

Check out Ugo: A Homecoming Story, a brand-new short documentary from WhatsApp. It follows the singer on his first trip to Nigeria, when he fully immerses himself in the family, culture, and nation he had only previously known from afar. The documentary is directed by Rick Famuyiwa (Dоpe, The Mandalorian, The Wood) and follows Antetokounmpo as he travels to towns, markets, and beaches. Viewers will learn about Nigeria’s unique culture from Nigerian designers, artists, and other sources along the route.

One of the most famous pictures is of Antetokounmpo exiting his vehicle in the middle of the busy Balogun Market to haggle with a vendor to buy a replica of his own Milwaukee Bucks jersey.

Antetokounmpo has been a brand partner of WhatsApp since he starred in the app’s first global commercial in 2022. He had already discussed his long experience with the product with Fast Company. At first, he flew alone from Greece to the US to play in the NBA, and his only way to stay in touch with people back home was via WhatsApp. Antetokounmpo said, “It had a significant impact on my life because it gave me the opportunity to connect with those people.”

There are very few subtly placed allusions to the messaging product throughout the entire movie, keeping branding to a minimum. On multiple instances, Antetokounmpo has been seen using WhatsApp to share pictures and videos with his family. As new scenes are presented, two tiny checkmarks that resemble the ones that appear when a WhatsApp message has been read or seen appear in the bottom right corner of the movie titles. This is a kind gesture that honors such characteristic. It continues WhatsApp’s branding efforts by highlighting the company’s role in fostering interpersonal relationships, particularly among those who live across the globe.

Antetokounmpo has had a busy week away from the court. The NBA player and former ESPN pundit Jay Williams unveiled Improbable Media. Giannis: The Marvelous Journey, a full-length documentary about his life story, will debut on Prime Video on February 19 and represent the company’s first major project.