NBA
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jay Williams teaming up to start new media company
Mat Issa is based in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Yes, he spells his name with one "t." He's obsessed with NBA history, so much so that he's dedicated nearly two years of research to his two mini-series', "Blazing the Trail" and "The Quest for the Best." Right now, Mat goes to law school and writes about the NBA for The Analyst, Forbes, and of course, Basketball Insiders. His work has also been featured in ESPN, SB Nation, FanSided, Basketball News, ONE37pm, and Raptors Republic. Also, he's a lifelong Spartans fan. Go Green!
All posts by Mat IssaUpdated15 Jan 2024
When Giannis Antetokounmpo first burst onto the scene all those years ago, many predicted that he would one day be the king of the league – much like LeBron James was at that time (by the way, how is that guy still going?)
Fast forward to the present day, and while Antetokounmpo has emerged into a bonafide superstar, he’s also followed in James’ footsteps in a different sector: off-the-court. Throughout the latter half of his career, James has been famous for having his hand in a bunch of different areas. From TV to business to clothes to movies. James does it all.
And it looks like Antetokounmpo is going to be the same way.
Improbable Media
Antetokounmpo is teaming up with former NBA lottery pick and current ESPN analyst Jay Williams to co-found a new media company called “Improbable Media.” Jonathan Stern (who was previously Red Bull Media House & Fusion Media Network) will serve as the company’s CEO.
The company’s first project will premiere on Prime Video on February 19th. It will be a one-hour, 48-minute documentary about Antetokounmpo’s journey to the NBA. The documentary it titled “Giannis: The Marvelous Journey.”
Amazon Studios describes it as, “The feature-length documentary from Improbable Media and Words + Pictures is the definitive, first-person account of NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo’s unparalleled journey from young immigrant to global icon.”
Here To Stay
In an interview with Sports Business Journal, Antetokounmpo told them that this documentary sets the tone for the entire company. “It sets the tone for us,” Antetokounmpo said. “It’s a very personal story that I am excited to share with the world. You’ll see me in everything Improbable does. And the Amazon documentary tells the story that is the foundation for all of this.”
In that same article, Stern mentions that, along with the upcoming documentary, Improbable has multiple other big projects in the works. Stern said that he wants to ensure that Improbable “come[s] into the marketplace with some heft.”
The article also mentions that Antetokounmpo and Williams’ relationship grew out of conversations that the latter had been having with the former’s agent (Alex Saratsis of Octagon) over the years.
