ATHENS, July 7 (Xinhua) -- Greece's NBA basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brothers Thanassis and Kostas led on Saturday a symbolic charity run in the centre of Athens to support socially vulnerable groups.

Starting from the Sepolia district basketball court where they first played basketball for the local team, the three brothers, followed by over 2,000 amateur runners, covered a 5-kilometer course to the Panathenaic Stadium, the marble venue of the 1896 Olympics.

The goal of the three brothers' initiative, which was supported by the City of Athens and the Greek Tourism ministry, was to send a message of solidarity, teamwork and unity, they explained.

"We are all brothers. Together we can change the world," Giannis, 23, nicknamed the "Greek Freak", told the cheering crowd before taking position at the starting point.

Giannis Antetokounmpo plays for the Milwaukee Bucks, Kostas, 20, is a Dallas Mavericks player, while Thanassis, 25, plays for Greek team Panathinaikos.

The three brothers of Nigerian origin have in many cases lent a helping hand to campaigns for a good cause in recent years.

All proceeds of Saturday's race will be donated to a local NGO which assists poor families.

The Antetokounmpos family was in need of aid while the three brothers were minors and their migrants parents were struggling to make a living. The three men have not forgotten the hardships and try to help people in need.

"The most important elements in Greece's culture are solidarity and philanthropy," Giannis had said in a press briefing at the Tourism Ministry a few days ago, when the charity race initiative was presented along a video of the Greek National Tourism Organization during which he urges travelers to visit the country.