THESSALONIKI — Thessaloniki street artist Elias Stylos, aka "Hayate", completed a 5x5m mural of Greek basketball phenomenon Giannis Antetokounmpo on the wall of a private company in the eastern part of the city, "to inspire people to fulfil their dreams."

Stylos, who has also depicted Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona, said it took him four days to complete the work, of which two 12-hour sessions were for the face alone. As he said to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency, "I want to honor the person I depict in my works, and to show that spark inside, which could motivate others to achieve their dream."

The well-known street artist revealed that he searches for the story behind people "who began from zero." In Giannis' case, Stylos said, "he inspired me – besides of where he started from and where he got to – in how hard he fought for his dream, and in that he chose a small team and took them to the top. It reminds me of Maradona."

Asked why he chose that particular pose, the artist said, "I wanted to find something that inspires you to achieve your goal, and I think this is registered in his look in this image."