GIANNI FERENTINOS
Gianni Ferentinos was born on November 15, 2005, on the island of Chios in Greece.
At an early age, Gianni was introduced to several sports to find which he would enjoy the most. Although he did not love it at first, basketball became his first love – he started playing at 5 years old at VAOL Basketball Club in Chios. Around 7 years old, Gianni also began participating in track and field events.
With an early growth spurt, Gianni excelled at basketball, long jump, and running, receiving accolades and winning numerous medals throughout the Aegean Islands, including a nomination to play in the Aegean Islands All-Star Game coached by a former Greek National Team player. Following a great performance in the game, at 12 years old, Gianni was called by the Greek National Team to tryout, along with 50 other boys, to see who would be part of the team moving forward.
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Succeeding in the National Team’s initial phase, Gianni attended the Eurohoops Basketball Camp, where he met another coach with a favorable opportunity, leading him to mainland Athens to play for the historic Greek basketball club Panionios. While living in the big city, Gianni practiced with the youth Greek National Team and started personal training at Performance 22 (known for developing National Team players including the Antetokounmpo brothers). Shortly thereafter, Gianni dunked for the first time at 13.
For the following year, Gianni played in various tournaments with the National Team, and competed with Panionios beating Olympiakos to win one tournament, and then coming in second in another against Panathinaikos.
Then, in the summer of 2019, Gianni visited the United States and had the opportunity to train with Corey Frazier (Overtime Elite). Yet another Coach and prosperous moment, which would eventually lead him back to America.
After returning to Greece in the fall of 2019, Gianni moved back to Chios and played once again for VAOL, but this time for the men’s team in Greece’s Third Division, as the designated youth player, where he practiced and trained with grown men, while completing his last year of middle school.
Just as luck would have it, in January of 2020 and right before the global awareness of COVID, Gianni quickly returned to the United States and received his citizenship. And then, in July of 2020, at the cusp of borders being closed, Gianni moved to St. Louis, Missouri to take his pursuit of basketball greatness to another level.
Gianni enrolled in Webster Groves High School (WGHS), a Nike Elite High School, and alma mater of top NBA trainer Drew Hanlen. As a freshman, he made varsity playing through a sporadic COVID season, and followed that up by playing for Brad Beal Elite 15U (Nike EYBL) for his first season of grassroots basketball, making it all the way to the illustrious Peach Jam in North Augusta, SC.
In his sophomore year at WGHS, he was named a starter for what would be one of the best teams ever assembled at the school. They kicked off the season by winning the Webster Classic, where Gianni was named to the All-Tournament Team and had the 2nd most 3-pointers in the 20+ year tournament history. Shortly thereafter, the team won the Coaches vs Cancer Tournament, and then proceeded to eclipse 20+ wins in the regular season, before mowing through the playoffs and becoming Class 5 Missouri State Champions. Gianni shot an elite 45% from 3-point land over that time, the 5th highest in the 100 year+ school history. At the conclusion of the season, he played for Fundamental U (out of Chicago, IL) on the Under Armour circuit and lit up the Pangos Premier 80 Showcase in Long Beach, CA, while training with Drew Hanlen and several NBA players.
For his junior year, Gianni attended Hillcrest Prep in Arizona and played in the Overtime Elite league against several future NBA lottery picks, and even though he was being recruited by many NCAA Division I colleges, Gianni chose to finish high school early and return back home to Greece to turn professional.
Gianni is currently in summer training camp with several teams and be one of the brightest and youngest prospects in the Greek Basket League (GBL) at 17 years old. Another exciting adventure ahead, we will see where the sport takes him next!