After seven NBA seasons that began with a brief stint for the New York Knicks before his long run in Milwaukee, the curtain closed on the Antetokounmpo era in Milwaukee. With Giannis Antetokounmpo traded to Miami, the family’s NBA chapter in Wisconsin ended on multiple fronts. Thanasis Antetokounmpo made an emotional announcement as the 2021 NBA champion is officially heading back home to Europe. The 34-year-old veteran forward signed a 2+1 multi-year deal with Greek powerhouse Aris Basketball Club in Thessaloniki, bringing an end to his tenure in North America.

The decision marks a major shift for the Antetokounmpo family as they navigate new professional chapters on opposite sides of the globe. Thanasis is joining his brother Kostas at Aris and leaving the NBA altogether, while the youngest brother, Alex, has also returned to Greece.

25-year-old Alex signed with the Greek basketball club Promitheas Patras B.C. and is no longer with the Bucks.

Aris officially confirmed that Thanasis is coming to the Greek Basket League. The announcement triggered immediate emotional reactions across social media. But nowhere more visible than on the Antetokounmpo brothers’ social media accounts.

While Kostas is excited to team up with his brother, their superstar younger brother, Giannis Antetokounmpo, took to his Instagram stories to celebrate the move, sharing an official graphic of Thanasis wearing his new #43 Aris B.C. jersey set against a dramatic, lava-framed background that looks like a scene out of the Percy Jackson series. Giannis added a green checkmark and a 100%”emoji over the graphic to signal his full approval.

The move comes as Giannis adjusts to his first season with the Miami Heat following his blockbuster summer trade from the Milwaukee Bucks, which reshuffled the competitive map of the Eastern Conference.

While Milwaukee previously embraced having multiple Antetokounmpo brothers in the organization, Miami made it clear during roster building that they would not recreate the same family setup in South Beach.

For Kostas, who signed with the Thessaloniki club earlier this summer, this marks an emotional reunion. Thanasis’ deal with Aris, which spans two years with a team option on the third, finally places him back on the floor.

Thanasis continues Antetokounmpo legacy in Greece after Achilles recovery

Thanasis Antetokounmpo logged seven NBA seasons overall, beginning with two games for the New York Knicks in 2015-16 and continuing through six seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, serving as an energetic defensive wing and key locker room leader during their 2021 NBA championship run.

After missing the entire 2024-25 NBA season due to a torn Achilles tendon and returning for a brief stint in 2025-26, the 34-year-old forward opted for familiarity and a defined role in Europe as Milwaukee entered a full roster rebuild under head coach Taylor Jenkins.

The transaction came together through Richard Hsiao, a longtime Antetokounmpo family friend who holds an ownership stake in Aris B.C. Hsiao’s involvement created the ideal structural conditions to unite Thanasis and Kostas on the same roster for the first time in their professional careers.

While Thanasis was rarely a statistical powerhouse over the 232 regular-season NBA games he played, he averaged 2.3 points and 1.5 rebounds in 7.2 minutes per game.

Thanasis, as Giannis confirmed, brought tangible value to championship culture. Known for his relentless defensive energy, high-velocity screening, vocal leadership on the bench, and he earned the deep respect of teammates, coaches, and Bucks fans throughout his tenure.

A return to Greek basketball represents full-circle familiarity for the veteran. Before being drafted 51st overall by the New York Knicks in the 2014 NBA Draft, Thanasis played for Filathlitikos from 2011 to 2013.

He later starred for EuroLeague powerhouse Panathinaikos from 2017 to 2019, claiming back-to-back domestic championships and twice earning Greek League Most Spectacular Player honors before returning to North America with the Bucks.

Now joining an ambitious Aris BC squad competing in both the Greek Basketball League and the EuroCup alongside former NBA veterans such as Khem Birch, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and E.J. Liddell, Thanasis will showcase his recovery from an Achilles injury in front of home fans.

With Giannis chasing titles in South Beach and Thanasis joining forces with Kostas in Thessaloniki, the Antetokounmpo family continues to thrive in their new teams.