How unfortunate is it that a committed man has to explain his reasons to unknown people on the internet over his wedding? A few weeks ago, Giannis Antetokounmpo defended his wife, Mariah Riddlesprigger’s honor and hit back at the critics. Now, Stephen A. Smith also set the record straight against the trolls.
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“Anybody who is talking about his wife, (slur) y’all,” Smith said in an appearance on “The Culture Table” podcast. “That’s that man’s wife. People cross lines. You don’t do that. You don’t talk about another man’s wife. You understand what I’m saying?
“This woman that is married to the Greek Freak don’t bother anybody. She says nothing. She loves her husband, her family. She raises her kids in a very obviously beautiful way. And every man has things that matter to him. That substance matters. It’s very important that we understand that. We should appreciate that, respect that about Giannis. We should respect the fact that he values this wonderful woman who clearly completes him.”
Stephen A. Smith is not the only sportscaster who came to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s defense. Rachel Nichols emphasized that star athletes’ personal relationships should never be part of the discussion.
“No one should be asked about this, period, and certainly anyone who actually knows Mariah would ever have to – if anyone is the lucky one in that relationship, it’s @Giannis_An34 😎.”
They have been together for more than a decade. Mariah was a former volleyball player at Rice University and later transitioned to work in operations in the NBA. She met Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2014 during the Summer League. Today, they are raising four children together. It was obvious that the Heat star would come to her defense.
“I’ve heard so many things. ‘Why is Giannis with his wife? He could be with a model. Not one model, but 10!’” Antetokounmpo candidly admitted in the Greek interview on the AnesTea podcast. “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.”
Again, Giannis Antetokounmpo never owed anybody any explanation. But the chatter on social media continued to grow, and that’s why the two-time MVP put an end to this.
It’s not the only time that Mariah has faced scrutiny on social media because of her husband. Last year during the EuroBasket, she faced threats.
“People in this world are so disappointing! All over a 🏀!” Mariah began with a long message where she also exposed the identity of a person who sent her a life-threatening DM. This is the part of the athlete culture that should end right away.
So, voices like Stephen A. Smith and Rachel Nichols are defending Giannis and, more importantly, his wife.