Morning Hot Reads: Laying the Groundwork

The PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER goes with the header, "Kristen Lappas grew up on Villanova basketball. It helped her make a film about Giannis Antetokounmpo." Kristen Lappas "missed a week of elementary school every year to sit behind the bench" at the Big East Tournament. And when your dad is the coach at Villanova, you "get to fly with the Wildcats to Hawaii." It was "impossible to know" then that those trips were "laying the foundation for a Hollywood career." Lappas is the director of a newly released documentary about Antetokounmpo. Her grandfather’s own story of emigrating from Greece -- and her love of basketball -- brought about "a connection with Antetokounmpo," whose family emigrated from Nigeria to Greece. She met him in 2019 when ESPN sent her to Athens for a story. Lappas "stayed in touch" with Antetokounmpo, which "proved vital" when she landed in 2022 with Words and Pictures. The production company wanted to make a movie about "The Greek Freak," and Lappas "was the perfect person for it."

Also:

• How a broadcaster undercut a great moment for a WNBA superstar.