Giannis Antetokounmpo has overcome unfathomable obstacles to become a symbol of hope for people all over the world, the personification of the American Dream. But his backstory remains largely untold, until now.
Timely ... [Fader's] biggest skill is her accumulation of details through deep reporting — that’s when she’s in her bag, as basketball fans like to say. Some of these details might seem trivial...but they transport the reader to a place and time ... The vividness of the stories she tells, the memories she’s able to pull out of people, unmask facets of Giannis’s playful and endearing personality.
Fader does a fine job of reconstructing a childhood bathed in love by family but challenged at every step by racial discrimination, grinding poverty, and doubt ... Fader tracks his unlikely ascent to the NBA as the fifteenth overall pick in 2013, his ungainly and inconsistent early play, and his hard-won emergence as the dominant force in today’s game.
Fader...makes good use of her access to NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and his family in her debut, an inspiring rags-to-riches account ... This captivating portrait of a sincere, diligent, and humble talent serves as a refreshing antidote to the often-depressing stories of those who become corrupted by success.
