For Giannis Antetokounmpo, the international premiere of the Disney+ feature film “Rise” was a turning moment. That June 20, 2022, day heralded the start of the most audacious venture off the court for the two-time NBA MVP, one that had nothing to do with the written film about his life that guests had assembled in Burbank, California, to celebrate.
That day, too, marked the start of Kristen Lappas’ filming of a new project, which would feature the 6-foot-11 Milwaukee Bucks player and his family, who had fled poverty in Greece and Nigeria before emigrating to the US.
After nineteen months, “Giannis: The Marvelous Journey” will finally make its debut on Prime Video on February 19, marking the culmination of that journey. The one-hour, 48-minute documentary was produced by Improbable Media, a company co-founded by NBA analyst Jay Williams and Antetokounmpo that seeks to offer a fresh viewpoint to the expanding field of athlete-driven productions, in addition to the reputable production company Words + Pictures.
Improbable’s website goes live on January 15 in conjunction with the announcement of “Giannis: The Marvelous Journey,” marking the company’s official hard-launch date. However, since last year, the company’s top rung has been quietly working on a number of projects to make sure they “come into the marketplace with some heft,” according to CEO Jonathan Stern.
Improbable has accomplished the intended outcome with “Giannis.” Though his goal to start a media firm was already set, Antetokounmpo said that his experience with “Rise,” for which he worked as executive producer, “definitely encouraged us that this was the right path.”
Born to Nigerian immigrants in Athens, Greece, Antetokounmpo emailed that of the Prime documentary, saying, “It sets the tone for us.” I am thrilled to share this extremely personal experience with everyone. I’m in all of Improbable’s projects. And the narrative that serves as the basis for everything is told in the Amazon documentary.
The interactions Williams had over the years with Antetokounmpo’s agency, Octagon’s Alex Saratsis, led to the combination of Antetokounmpo and Williams. A relationship seemed more and more sensible as they conversed. As the focus of the organization’s largest endeavor to date, Antetokounmpo is the star player, but Williams—a Duke graduate who won the Wooden Award and was selected second overall in the 2002 NBA Draft—is also a formidable opponent.
Both have incredible tales to tell: Antetokounmpo rose from poverty in Greece to NBA superstardom in the United States, while Williams’ playing career was nearly ended by a motorcycle аccident in 2003, but he went on to become one of the game’s most influential figures because of his work for ESPN.
Prior to Improbable, both individuals invested in several ventures and had outstanding business resumes. Together with his brothers, Antetokounmpo established Ante Inc., their family office, last year with the goal of managing their portfolio of companies, social impact groups, and brand assets. Improbable enables Ante to maintain a large portion of its operations in-house while assembling a staff capable of providing manufacturing assistance, strategic brand support, and knowledge to other businesses aiming to expand.
Williams worked briefly as a program presenter for Kevin Durant’s Boardroom and as a producer for LeBron James’ SpringHill Company, two athlete-led media firms, during the outset of their respective launches. He clarified that his friendship with Antetokounmpo differs somewhat from that of the latter in that they are not lifetime friends and neither controls the other.
Williams said, “But he and his team collaborate closely with [me and my team].” “We’re both making an investment with our names and reputations. And by cooperating as a team, we will grow our brands together.
He mentioned in particular the impact of Rich Kleiman, Durant’s Boardroom colleague, who, according to Williams, “changed my life.” To me, he resembles an older brother. Williams acknowledged that he and Boardroom’s direction weren’t entirely in sync, but it didn’t meаn they couldn’t still be a family and have fun together all the time. He continued by saying he thought Improbable will eventually have the chance to collaborate directly with Boardroom.
“After having those two distinct experiences, observing those athletes and their market footprints, as well as how they were leveraging their relationships through storytelling and content, finally made me ask myself, ‘What is the next iteration of that?'” Williams said. “I felt that talking to Giannis and Alex Saratsis about how sports are becoming more globalized was the direction I wаnted to take this.”
The top three decision-makers in Improbable share responsibilities, but they also have distinct positions. CEO Stern said that Antetokounmpo serves as the company’s creative filter, and that Improbable relies heavily on his advice to make sure it pursues initiatives and makes creative decisions that align with its brand and principles.
Williams, the chairman of the firm, has strong connections with sports, celebrities, production companies, and distributors, which enable him to play a vital role as a facilitator within the sector. In one notable instance, he collaborated with Words + Pictures creator Connor Schell—with whom he has a long-standing acquaintance from their time together at ESPN—to help seal the deal with Amazon for “Giannis.” He has also been a closer and a thinking partner. And once production got underway, Williams was a vital counsel for Lappas, who recalls meeting him for the first time when she was around eight years old. Before Williams finally decided on Duke, her father, veteran college basketball coach Steve Lappas, had been attempting to lure him to Villanova.
Lappas said, “We were making jokes about how long we’ve known each other for.” “He was able to help me understand Giannis on a human level before I met him and give me insight into what Giannis’ world has become, which I think is incredibly valuable.”
Stern, on the other hand, “runs the show,” according to Williams. He assumed the role of CEO early this year and has since directed the company’s operations and overall strategic direction in addition to managing the creation and distribution of all content. His background includes executive positions at Red Bull and Fusion Media Network, where he helped launch the latter’s media studio and revitalized the energy drink brand by backing a daring stunt like Felix Baumgartner’s 2012 record-breаking leap from space, which has received tens of milliоns of views on the internet.
He said, “I’ve always had a real appreciation for the role of athletes in driving cultural conversations as well as the role of brand storyteller.”
Nick Monroe, the director of content for the Milwaukee Bucks and a personal friend of Antetokounmpo, the head of features at Improbable, is another important employee. To expand on current sponsor agreements and build new ones, the business plans to hire a vice president of branded entertainment in February. At this early stage, Improbable also depends on freelancers since it has a tiny team.
The firm, which has major backers in Verance Capital and GPS Investment Partners but will not reveаl the precise amount of money, has two distinct business models: its production and media division and Nuance, a section devoted to brand strategy. According to Antetokounmpo, Improbable intends to investigate further economic ventures, such as live events, newsletters, and products.
Although “Giannis” is the company’s greatest achievement to date, it has previously successfully launched a number of lesser ventures. These consist of a brief documentary on Nike, an advertisement for Protergia, an energy firm located in Greece that was filmed in Greek and includes Antetokounmpo, and a short documentary called “The Flagmakers,” which Improbable and National Geographic collaborated on. The 35-minute Emmy-winning documentary chronicles the experiences of immigrant laborers at Wisconsin’s Eder Flag Manufacturing.
Athlete-driven material is abundant at the time when Antetokounmpo, Williams, and Stern are on the scene. Over a hundred athletes, both active and retired, operate their own production enterprises.
Nevertheless, Matt Newman, head of Prime Video Original sports programming, said that having two well-known figures at the forefront helps lure in potential customers.
According to Newman, “it varies by company, but when the athlete is directly involved and when the company and athlete lean in on all promotion, it can absolutely move the needle.” “Athletes and their teams thrown into the project may magnify the tale and energize viewers in a way that other marketing and PR can’t; it is not powerful to merely have a corporation attached.”
Despite the fact that the industry is now competitive, Schell said, “what makes them stand out is the hook they have with a global, international star.”
Improbable intends to make a major component of their strategy a focus on global stories. Antetokounmpo said that Improbable is working on a film on his first trip to Nigeria last summer.
Stern said, “The financial upside isn’t nearly as high in certain territories, but there are a lot fewer financial barriers to entry for creating and producing.” That provides us with a chance to maybe develop, take some chances, and take some risks. It also serves as a conduit and a gateway for us to share our tales with the United States and the rest of the globe.
According to the protagonist of the documentary, “Giannis” is a great place to start in that sense. With the exception of the director (Lappas, who is 100% Greek) and the twelve shooting sites in Antetokounmpo’s own country—which includes the market where he and his siblings sold watches and sunglasses to make ends meet—virtually every aspect of the movie has an international flare. The documentary also features his mother Veronica’s first-ever solo on-camera interview.
“It’s possible that Giannis’ journey—along with his family’s—is the most incredible sports narrative I’ve ever heard,” Schell said, without using exaggeration.
The prоject mаnаgers аcknоwledge thаt the timing is а little оdd. The “Rise” debut is still fresh in оur memоries, аnd frоm Disney’s perspective, the nаrrаtive оf аntetоkоunmpо’s life wаs well tоld. But under the surfаce, there wаs much mоre tо explоre аbоut the significаnce оf Chаrles аntetоkоunmpо’s deаth in 2017 frоm а heаrt аttаck, the gаp his deаth left, аnd the 29-yeаr-оld’s current missiоn tо remember аnd suppоrt immigrаnts wоrldwide in memоry оf his fаther.
Giannis taught me a valuable lesson early on in life when he remarked, “I’m so glad I did the Disney movie; it was an incredible experience and it’s so inspiring for kids.” It was Disneyfied, however. Our lives were much more complicated and difficult,” Lappas said.
Even still, Antetokounmpo need some persuasion that now was the appropriate time for this kind of documentary. The two-time NBA MVP still has a lot of basketball years left in him, after all.
He was first unsure about whether he should be working on a project at this stage of his career. Lappas noted that Michael Jordan waited to perform “The Last Dance.” We persisted in attempting to clarify to him that this was not the last dance. This is much more profound and intricate than that. And in 20 years, maybe, you could complete that project? But this is the tale of the immigrant.
Antetokounmpo is aware that his advantage against Improbable stems from part of his past.
“It has bestowed upon me an unparalleled viewpoint on the world, which no other individual can contribute,” he said. “My passions, family, heritage, and experiences are woven throughout Improbable Media.”