USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Giannis Antetokounmpo is speaking out on why he’s still with his longtime wife, Mariah.
Last week, Giannis revealed that he instantly fell in love when he first met Mariah during the NBA’s Las Vegas Summer League in 2014 , and has been with her ever since.
“Yes. I knew she would be my wife. I knew it immediately. I met her in Vegas. After Vegas, I tried to talk to her, but it didn’t work out. Then later she said, ‘I want to get to know you.’ I said, ‘You want to get to know me?’ So I started flying to Miami. You know how a lot of girls say, ‘You’re going to fly me out?’ I was like, ‘Mm-mm.'”
“She was like, ‘Say less.’ A week later, I was in Miami, and she showed up. I was like, ‘You came?’ She said, ‘Yeah, I want to get to know you.’ Then she started spending time with my mom and my dad while he was still alive. The moment I saw her, I knew she was the person I wanted to be with. From the moment she came to Miami until today, she has never left my side. Now we have four kids.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo shares story of how he met his wife in Miami:
“I knew she would be my wife immediately…. She was like ‘I want to get to know you’ so I said let’s meet in Miami. A lot of girls say ‘you gonna fly me out?’ (giannis shakes head). A week later I was in Miami,… pic.twitter.com/c09KRQPlFn
— Heat Central (@TheHeatCentral) July 6, 2026
During a recent podcast appearance, Giannis explained why he’s stayed with his wife and not married a model.
“I’ve heard so many things. ‘Why is Giannis with this wife? He could be with a model. Not one model but ten!’ But I am with my wife because she tells me the truth. She loves me, she will tell me whenever I do anything wrong. She will tell my kids the truth. I know that she will kill for my kids and she would even kill me for them. I know that she won’t let my kids get a big head, and that’s the most important thing for me. I am in love. I am in love with her. As a woman and as a mother.”