NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo defends romance with wife after vile trolls questioned why he hasn't left her for a model

NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo has been forced to defend his marriage after vile online trolls told him he could be 'with not one model, but 10'.

Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP and 10-time All-Star, met his wife Mariah at the NBA's Summer League in Las Vegas back in 2014.

Just about to enter his second year in the NBA, Giannis admitted he 'immediately' knew he would go on to marry her. The couple, who now share four children, married in his native Greece in 2024.

But, speaking on the 'AnesTea The Podcast' this week, the new Miami Heat star felt as though he should respond to claims he could do better.

'I've heard so many things. "Why is Giannis with this wife? He could be with a model. Not one model but 10!" But I am with my wife because she tells me the truth,' he explained.

'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.'

Speaking about the moment they met in Las Vegas, he added: '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.'

Antetokounmpo got his formal Heat introduction on Thursday, a couple of weeks after Miami swung the trade that landed the NBA champion along with Bobby Portis Jr. from the Bucks.

In exchange, Milwaukee received Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel´el Ware, Kasparas Jakucionis and draft capital.

Antetokounmpo entered the NBA in 2013. His career totals to date are 21,531 points, 8,882 rebounds and 4,484 assists.

The point and rebound totals are both fifth best in the NBA over that span, while the assist total is 13th best - and those numbers are just part of the reason why the Heat consider him to still be one of the five best players in the league.

Antetokounmpo's run in Milwaukee ended with him having, by far, the most points in franchise history, more than 7,000 ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar´s total during his tenure with the Bucks.

Antetokounmpo is also Milwaukee´s all-time leader in rebounds and assists, plus he ranks second on the team´s career list in steals.