EuroBasket Broadcasters Call Out Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s Position With Bucks As Giannis Faces Trouble

Giannis Antetokounmpo’s younger brother, Thanasis, is reportedly set to return to the Milwaukee Bucks after having signed a guaranteed one-year, $2.9 million contract with the franchise. Thanasis believed that Doc Rivers and co used Greece’s tournament-opener against Italy as his audition to return to the Bucks, stating that “they were excited because I was playing defense”. While it remains to be seen how well the player will adjust following his injury, media sites like ‘Basketball Forever’ have highlighted excitement for the event by using terms like ‘Fan Favorite’. Two commentators recently determined a reason for this moniker.

Team Greece is currently facing off against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the ongoing EuroBasket 2025 series. During the matchup, Thanasis drew a foul in his favor while defending. As the whistle blew, the cheers erupted from the crowd. The commentators themselves noted that “Thanasis is getting the crowd riled up”. Another commentator noted, “That is what he does. Mostly known for the Bucks, and so now he spurs on his teammates. Sticking his face in there. True”.

Thanasis Antetokounmpo has often shown his ability to excite the crowd and be the Bucks’ hype man. During a matchup against the Charlotte Hornets back in February 2024, one could easily make out the loud cheers of the crowd whenever Thanasis had the ball in his hand. One could also make out the groans when the player couldn’t drop the ball through the hoop.

As the EuroBasket commentators said, Thanasis is also known for the ability to ‘spur on his teammates’, especially when it comes to his brother, Giannis. In a Pacers-Bucks game back in December 2023, Aaron Nesmith was called for a technical foul when he wrapped his arms around Giannis Antetokounmpo as the latter drove to the basket. Nesmith threw Antetokounmpo to the floor, which caused an on-court confrontation amongst several players. Bucks forward Bobby Portis was the most upset with Nesmith, staring daggers at him as numerous people held him back. Meanwhile, on the Milwaukee bench, Thanasis leapt up and was fully prepared to defend his brother, but Jae Crowder stopped him. After all, leaving the bench to join an altercation reportedly earns a player an automatic one-game suspension.

These incidents highlight Thanasis’s position within the team, including his memorable qualities. Unfortunately, even in light of this, not everyone is happy with Giannis’s brother’s return, and one of ‘The Greek Freak’s old teammates might have the answer to why.

Jeff Teague Defends Giannis Antetokounmpo From Nepotism Talk: “That boy was drafted too”

Thanasis Antetokounmpo has, till now, spent 5 seasons playing for the Milwaukee Bucks. Unlike his star brother, the older Antetokounmpo has not reached the same level of excellence. Over the course of 196 games, he averaged only 2.4 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.6 assists. He has been limited to a bench role and has averaged just 7.7 minutes per game. Sports Illustrated reporter Justin Grasso used this to claim that “Considering Antetokounmpo’s lack of interest anywhere else, the popular narrative is that he wouldn’t have a spot on an NBA roster without Giannis’s presence in Milwaukee”. While Jeff Teague doesn’t fully disagree with this belief, he was still able to defend the Antetokounmpo brothers.

The 2015 NBA All-Star was a guest on a recent episode of the ‘Club 520 Podcast’. During the discussion, he joked about how the Bucks are “running that championship squad back” and wished they’d include him too, given that he was a part of the squad that won the NBA championship back in 2021. In regards to Thanasis, he bluntly stated, “Alright, we’re talking about nepotism and that kind of stuff, but that boy was drafted too, he can hoop. I ain’t never going to say he can’t hoop, he obviously can, we just saw his highlights”.

At the same time, Teague added that “But without Giannis, you just wouldn’t think [this would happen]. Giannis is their part-owner, man. I remember getting talked to me that he will sign a two-year deal and I was like shut the f-k up, man. And he did sign that in the end”.

Amid these claims of nepotism, the EuroBasket commentators place Thanasis in a different light. Whether the others will see this too is something that remains to be seen.