Giannis Antetokounmpo is the talk of the chess world

With Giannis Antetokounmpo finding new ways to fill his days at the moment, his decision to take out the chess board has set the world’s grandmasters tweeting.

These are strange times we’re all living in, and as Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to give Milwaukee Bucks fans an insight into his day to day life since the NBA’s suspension, it’s fair to say he continues to get more and more attention from a wide variety of places.

Something like San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills showcasing his guitar skills in response to Giannis’ own video, as he did on Tuesday, is not entirely surprising. NBA players mix in the same circles, get to know each other over the years, and follow each other on social media.

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Something that wasn’t quite as predictable, though, is the response that Antetokounmpo received to a picture he posted of him and his girlfriend playing chess on Sunday night.

Giannis is a chess enthusiast, having started playing through former teammate Tony Snell. As Antetokounmpo explained back in 2017 to Eric Nehm, then of ESPN Milwaukee, he started playing chess as a way to challenge his mind and as a method to distract him from the game of basketball, although he was rarely successful in that particular aim.

"“I’m like, ‘The only reason I’m playing chess right now is to get my mind off basketball.’ So, I’m still thinking about basketball! So, I’m getting ready to make a move and I’m like, ‘Ahhh, s—! I’m thinking about basketball again.’”"

Still, with his interest in chess established, it must undoubtedly have been a thrill for Antetokounmpo when his photo attracted the attention of not one, but two world renowned chess grandmasters.

First to respond was Garry Kasparov, who is widely regarded as the greatest chess player of all-time. Kasparov was kind enough to offer his assistance if Giannis was interested in upping his game, which was an offer that the reigning NBA MVP seemed very receptive to.

Kasparov wasn’t the only esteemed figure from the chess community to comment on Giannis’ exploits, though, as current world no. 1 Magnus Carlsen also had his say. Carlsen’s tweet drew on the recent quotes from James Harden about Antetokounmpo, making it a little unclear as to whether it was an attempt at humor or actually one of the stranger jibes that Giannis has had to deal with over his career to date.

Either way, these interactions have only continued to highlight Antetokounmpo’s ever-growing profile across the world. At this rate, there’s no guessing what Giannis’ social media use could lead to, or who may jump in his mentions next.