Do we like Giannis Antetokounmpo?
Our score: 8 out of 10. Decent and kind with a long record of giving, marked down only because the record is quiet on LGBTQ+ and women's issues.
His own history is why his words on migrants carry weight. Back in 2016 he told migrants to keep chasing their dreams and never stop, pointing to his own family's years-long fight before he became famous. He has used his story to push for kindness toward people in the same boat he grew up in.
On the harm test, we found nothing hurtful from him: no campaigning against any group, no conspiracy rabbit holes, no dodgy company. When Donald Trump questioned his Greek heritage at a 2024 Milwaukee rally, he said he wasn't aware of the comments and added “I don't follow politics that much.” That's honestly the whole list: he steers clear of culture wars, so we can't point to him standing up for LGBTQ+ people either.
His one proper blow-up came at EuroBasket 2025. On an Instagram live stream from the Greek locker room he was heard swearing about a Turkish flag, and he later apologised, saying his intention was never to offend anyone. It was a heat-of-the-moment stumble, owned quickly, and not a pattern.
The last year has been a messy one at work. In March the players' union slammed the Bucks over reports they were weighing shutting him down for the rest of the 2025-26 season while he wanted to keep playing. He then left Milwaukee, with the trade to Miami official in July, and posted a farewell saying the city would always be in his heart.
The giving is the real stuff. He and his brothers launched the Charles Antetokounmpo Family Foundation in 2022 in memory of their late father, working in Nigeria, Greece and the US, and it put $1 million toward free mental health services in Milwaukee. Years earlier he took Milwaukee kids on a shopping spree and told them to always give back when they can.
So: a bloke who grew up undocumented in a country that treated him as an outsider, then spent his fame and money on others. He doesn't use his platform for loud politics, and the record on LGBTQ+ and women's issues is quiet rather than good. But the harm test comes up clean and he's easy to cheer for, even if he's now in Miami.