AntetokounBros Store Director Nemo Ruparel: From Sneaker Enthusiast to Giannis Antetokounmpo's Retail Partner

Nimesh “Nemo” Ruparel is store director of AntetokounBros , the retail store owned by Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brothers. It is located in The Trade Hotel in downtown Milwaukee adjacent to Fiserv Forum

The shop marks the Antetokounmpo family's first U.S. retail location.  The first Antetokounbros Shop opened at the Athens International Airport in Greece in 2022.The store sells Antetokounbros-branded products including apparel for children, men and women. All of the garments are made in Greece.

Ruparel was one of the guests on “Milwaukee “Made.” The following Q&A is from his chat with show host David Caruso.

Q: And I've read that you're a sneaker enthusiast yourself. In fact, I think you even sell and swap a little bit for a business, which is so cool. Did that love of sneakers get you into this retail world?

Ruparel: “I've always loved sneakers. It's something where being younger, something that I couldn't necessarily get when I was a kid, I didn't get all the new Jordans and I didn't get the new Nikes and things like that. So being able to kind of chase it is what drew my passion for sneakers. A pair of sneakers was the culture of basketball. So being a part of playing basketball, seeing it developed with the Milwaukee Bucks, I think it's truly a part of who I am and being able to finally work and get the funds to buy sneakers kind of got fueled my addiction for it. So now I am a sneaker enthusiast. I buy, sell and trade and that's kind of who I am as an individual.”

Q: One of the things that everybody wants to know is how did you get connected with Giannis?

Ruparel “This is something where I think it organically happened. I believe LinkedIn was the source. Funny enough, it was just something where I've always been a part of the community on my previous lines of work, sneaker culture, being a part of basketball, being in the city day in and day out. I think it's something where I would assume I have a good reputation in regard to all this. I think it just organically happened, connections on LinkedIn and sure enough, here I am today.

“You kind of get starstruck a little bit, right? So at the end of the day you kind of feel it out and see what it is. And the family wanted to start a store, I think it was just a kind of a cool touch. Having a pretty big background in retail myself, I thought it was not easy in any sense, but being part of it, I think it would be a cool experience and probably a once in lifetime opportunity, which it truly is. It was just kind of a cool way to connect with them and being a part of their brand and their legacy.”

Q: The store is really an experience. So tell me a little bit about how you created that. You were really involved, like you said, from the ground up. So what was your intention around the design and concept of this store?

Ruparel: “I've worked in bigger stores and bigger companies where it's transactional selling. Here it's experiential. So no matter when you come in, whether you're looking or you're buying, at the end of the day everybody leaves with an experience, which is great customer service and a great vibe. Whether you're a child, you're an adult, you're a family member, a team player, whatever the case might be, we accommodate everybody. And I think in here it's just naturally a good time and a good vibe no matter who you are.”

Q: How has the store been received since it opened?  Have people been excited to come here?

Ruparel: “Yeah, absolutely. So when we had our grand opening, I remember I like it was yesterday. We had a line that started from one corner of the store wrapped around the whole entire building and ended where it started. It was a mad house, but it was such a peaceful event where everybody had a good time. Not everybody could come inside the store unfortunately, but it was well received since day one. We do see a lot of flow of traffic. So the city loves it and people take pictures of different things inside the store. I think it's just a good time for everybody to experience.

“We get people from different parts of the world. It's not even around the city or the state. It's one of those things that we see people from Australia, London, Greece, Hawaii, New York, and obviously down the street from us. It's kind of cool to see these people come in.”

Q: When you go to a game in Fiserv Forum, where's your favorite place to sit?

Ruparel: “Experiences are all different. So I mean I've sat high up, I've sat down below. I think it just depends on who you're with. I think the vibe is cool with the atmosphere with the people around you, especially during the playoffs. The energy is insane. I think no matter where you sit with a good crowd, I think it's always going to be fun.”