(Basketball news) Debuting on Disney + Hotstar, “Rise” isn’t just a basketball story. It’s the journey of the Antetokounmpo family from the streets of Nigeria to Turkey and then to Greece. It highlights the struggles of being a black immigrant in Western Europe as they fight for a better life in greener pastures. While it’s easy to think it's a Giannis Antetokounmpo biopic, it’s not, rather, it’s a story about belonging and following your dreams. Whether it’s the dream of Vera and Charles Adetokunbo for giving their children a better life or the dream of their four children – Thanasis, Giannis, Kostas and Alex in their quest of finding a place to belong, even in a country that won’t recognize them as one of their own.

The family’s original surname “Adetokunbo”, which means “the king has returned from across the seas” is condescendingly massacred by the Greek system and changed to Antetokounmpo. While the parents work hard to get residency documentation, Thanasis and Giannis get introduced to basketball and go from learning the basics such as dribbling to becoming one of the best players in the team. The movie shows Thanasis to be the better of the two while Giannis plays catch-up, and the brothers quickly gain the attention of scouts and agents from the country. 

With talk of a move to a different team, the glaring issue of having no paperwork detracts suitors who don’t want to risk the wrath of the Greek government. Anti-immigration sentiments are at an all time high with the influx of refugees in Greece and the Antetokounmpo family struggles with remaining under the radar from the authorities while they try to survive in the city. Uche Agada, the actor who portrays Giannis Antetokounmpo had a rather flat portrayal of the NBA star which is not in line with the real Giannis’ true personality. However, the makers of the film have largely focused on the ‘inspiration’ in the story rather than the nuances in the acting, especially from the brothers.

The Antetokounmpo parents, namely the mother who is played by Yetide Badaki and the father Dayo Okeniyi have done an excellent job. Okeniyi, who plays Charles Adetokunbo has an interesting dynamic of a supporting father who lives in constant fear of his family being caught by the authorities and the resentment he still holds for not being able to make it as a professional footballer. The film, being a Disney + movie, lacks the big budget but is well made for what it sets out to do, inspire the audience with a captivating story. Towards the end, it captures not just the hearts but also the emotions of the audience when the Antetokounmpo family’s fate is hanging in the balance and Giannis is finally picked by the Milwaukee Bucks. And as they say, the rest is history.. 

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