Final Jeopardy includes reference to Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo

Milwaukee Bucks followers had been absolutely shouting “Greece!” at their televisions Tuesday night when Ultimate Jeopardy rolled round. Backstage, so was contestant Nicky Smith, a Milwaukee native and large Bucks fan who occurred to overlook out on what would have been a tailored alternative.

“Jeopardy!” introduced an NBA aptitude to its closing query, and Bucks franchise star Giannis Antetokounmpo was on the heart of the favored sport present’s nearer, launched with the class “African Surnames.”

Ultimate Jeopardy asks about Adetokunbo household leaving Nigeria for this nation

The reply learn, “Adetokunbo, ‘the crown has returned from abroad,’ is becoming for the Adetokunbo household who left Nigeria for this nation in 1991.”

As host Ken Jennings indicated, it was a “sports activities clue in disguise.”

Everyone knows the story of how the household moved to Greece, the place Giannis was born in 1994. In the present day, in fact, he is the franchise cornerstone who led the Bucks to the 2021 NBA championship, with the chance for one more unfolding because the playoffs proceed.

Extra:4 fascinating revelations from New York Instances article concerning the ‘Greece that shunned’ Giannis Antetokounmpo

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Giannis Antetokounmpo superfan Nicky Smith wasn’t round for Ultimate Jeopardy

Solely one of many contestants knew the reference, although solely two of the three performed Ultimate Jeopardy, with Smith stored from the ultimate spherical on account of a unfavorable rating following the primary two rounds of play (-$800).

That was a fairly vital bummer for Smith, who occurs to be a graduate of Marquette College Excessive College, an enormous Giannis fan and even briefly spent a while as a ball boy with the group. Smith, who makes use of the pronoun they, now lives in San Francisco, the place they moved to finish PhD work, and their mom nonetheless lives in Cedarburg.

“My sibling and our collective companions hate Giannis as a result of, ‘It is all you speak about, why do not you marry Giannis?’ Smith stated in a post-show second of levity earlier than trying straight on the digicam. “Giannis, I am sorry. Please, you’ll be able to put this on YouTube. I like you Giannis, stick with Milwaukee without end. You might be our king.”

Smith stated the speech was trimmed fairly dramatically and a part of “actually Giannis details for 3 minutes” that they recited to everybody on set.

Jennings joked, “The in the future a stalker of his was on the present … we did not get to see you exhibit.”

Smith, 35, has attended numerous Bucks-Warriors video games and was even carrying Giannis Greek Freak Zoom 1s throughout taping. Apparently, contestants had been informed no person may see their toes on the podium, so Smith felt at liberty to assist No. 34.

Smith simply wasn’t round for the present’s Giannis second.

“My solely technique was to be round for Ultimate Jeopardy,” Smith stated, including that the circumstance delivered to thoughts a paraphrased quote he’d learn by Mike Tyson. “All people’s obtained a method till you get hit within the face.”

Mattea Roach guesses flawed reply, however received ‘Jeopardy!’ for the sixteenth time

Defending champion Mattea Roach, who went into the ultimate query with a commanding lead, did not know the reply (she guessed United Kingdom), however she simply received the evening for her sixteenth straight victory.

Backstage, Smith lamented the wild unluckiness of a Giannis query being featured on Ultimate Jeopardy, although they figured they’d have written “Giannis Antetokounmpo” as an alternative of “Greece” within the second of pleasure.

Cultural strategist Reya Sehgal solutions Ultimate Jeopardy query appropriate

Brooklyn cultural strategist and performer Reya Sehgal did know the reply, doubling her $5,000 with a wager of $4,900. However her $9,900 was nonetheless nicely shy of Roach’s closing complete of $16,200.

Antetokounmpo achieved Greek citizenship in 2013, mere days earlier than departing for the US upfront of the NBA draft. His passport transliterated the identify Adetokumbo into the spelling used stateside, Antetokounmpo.

Roach will get to maintain her crown, and Giannis now appears so as to add one other with Recreation 5 of his first-round playoff sequence towards Chicago on Wednesday.

JR Radcliffe will be reached at (262) 361-9141 or jradcliffe@gannett.com. Comply with him on Twitter at @JRRadcliffe.