Viktor Gyökeres’s mask celebration is one of the most well-known in the sport, but it transcended soccer Tuesday night as showcased by NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to victory over the New York Knicks. After scoring a basket late in the game, the NBA and global star paid homage to the Arsenal center forward by recreating the celebration.
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) October 29, 2025
It’s not the first time “The Greek Freak” has hit the mask celebration. Last season, when Gyökeres was scoring goals for fun at Sporting CP, Antetokounmpo did the celebration in Nov. 2024.
The Swedish striker since made a move to the Premier League and is now leading the line for Mikel Arteta’s side. Through 14 appearances for Arsenal, Gyökeres has found the back of the net five times as he continues to adapt to life in England.
Interestingly enough, Antetokounmpo has admitted many times he’s a soccer fan and that Arsenal were the team he supported growing up.
Antetokounmpo: Deep Down I’m Still an Arsenal Fan
Game recognize game 🫱🫲@Giannis_An34 🤝 @viktor_gyokeres pic.twitter.com/gEQZvjHLVJ
— Sporting CP English (@SportingCP_en) November 24, 2024
In the past, the two-time NBA MVP has admitted that soccer was the first sport he fell in love with and dreamed of being a professional on the pitch rather than on the court.
He also said he was an Arsenal fan growing up, especially because of his love for Gunners legend Thierry Henry.
“I used to watch a lot of football [soccer] growing up, my dad was a football player,” Antetokounmpo said in 2020. “Football was our life. My favorite team used to be Arsenal and my favorite player used to be Thierry Henry.”
When Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to their first NBA title in nearly 50 years in 2021, his childhood idol made sure to congratulate him.
We surprised @Giannis_An34 with a special congratulatory message from his childhood idol, @Arsenal legend, Thierry Henry: pic.twitter.com/HPOKJwBTkX
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) August 12, 2021
With time, Antetokounmpo also admitted he grew to like Paris Saint-Germain, especially when former MLS star Zlatan Ibrahimović was with the club. However, as much as he tried to hide it, his true allegiance remains in north London.
“But still, deep down I’m an Arsenal fan,” Antetokounmpo said.
Antetokounmpo along with all other Arsenal supporters will hope to see Gyökeres hit his signature celebration when the Gunners visit Burnley on Saturday looking to increase their lead atop the Premier League table.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NBA Star Giannis Antetokounmpo Does Famous Arsenal Striker Celebration.
