Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Thanasis Antetokounmpo
Thanasis Antetokounmpo
Born	July 18, 1992 (age 34); Athens, Greece
Occupation	Professional basketball player
Known for	Playing for Milwaukee Bucks, Greek national basketball team

Athanasios Rotimi "Thanasis" Antetokounmpo (originally named Adetokunbo; born July 18, 1992) is a professional basketball athlete of Nigerian-Greek descent who most recently competed for the Milwaukee Bucks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Since 2016, he has been a member of the Greek national basketball squad.

Measuring 6 feet 7 inches tall, Antetokounmpo is versatile in playing both the small forward and power forward roles. He achieved back-to-back Greek League championships with Panathinaikos during the 2018 and 2019 seasons and claimed the NBA title with the Bucks in 2021.

He is the eldest sibling of NBA stars, including two-time NBA MVP winner Giannis, along with brothers Kostas and Alex.

Early career

Born in Athens, Thanasis is the second child among five brothers born to Nigerian parents Charles and Veronica Antetokounmpo.

His basketball journey started in 2008 with Filathlitikos' youth squads, eventually progressing to their senior team competing in Greece’s semi-professional fourth division during the 2010–11 season.

Filathlitikos (2011–2013)

In 2011, Antetokounmpo turned professional by joining Filathlitikos in the Greek third tier. Over the course of the 2012–13 Greek second division campaign, he posted averages of 12.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.0 assist, 1.1 steals, and 1.0 blocks per contest. His performance earned him an invitation to participate in the 2013 Greek All-Star Game, where he also competed in the slam dunk competition—a rare honor for players from the second division.

He initially declared for the 2013 NBA draft alongside his younger brother Giannis but withdrew his name on the final deadline day, June 17, 2013. During the following season (2013–14), he made four appearances for Filathlitikos; one standout game included scoring 15 points and securing 8 rebounds in a victory over Ermis Lagkada.

Delaware 87ers (2013–2014)

On November 1, 2013, Antetokounmpo was chosen ninth overall by the Delaware 87ers during the 2013 NBA Development League Draft. In his debut for Delaware on November 23, he recorded 14 points, along with two rebounds and two assists, despite a loss against the Canton Charge. He also took part in the slam dunk contest at the 2014 NBA D-League All-Star festivities.

Throughout the 2013–14 NBA Development League season, he averaged a stat line of 12.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.3 blocks across fifty games. His defensive efforts were recognized on May 1, 2014, when he was named to the NBA D-League All-Defensive third team.

Westchester Knicks (2014–2016)

Antetokounmpo was picked 51st overall by the New York Knicks in the 2014 NBA draft on June 26, 2014. He participated with New York during the 2014 NBA Summer League, averaging three points and nearly two rebounds over five contests. Subsequently, on November 3, he was acquired by their affiliate team, the Westchester Knicks. On April 22, 2015, his defensive prowess earned him a spot on the NBA D-League All-Defensive second team. Across forty-seven games with Westchester that season, he averaged nearly fourteen points per game alongside solid contributions of over six rebounds and roughly two assists, steals, and blocks per outing.

In July of 2015, Antetokounmpo rejoined New York’s summer league roster where he improved his output to averages of 6.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and added around one block per game across five matches. He signed a contract with the Knicks on August 7 but was waived on October 23 after participating in three preseason games. Later that month, he returned to play for Westchester once again.

New York Knicks (2016)

On January 29, 2016, Antetokounmpo inked a 10-day contract with the New York Knicks. He made his first appearance that same evening, contributing two points in a brief two-minute stint against the Phoenix Suns.

Return to Westchester (2016)

Following New York's decision on February 8, 2016, not to extend his contract, Antetokounmpo rejoined the Westchester Knicks the very next day.

Andorra (2016–2017)

Antetokounmpo signed with MoraBanc Andorra of Spain’s Liga ACB on August 8, 2016. He was instrumental in guiding the team to its first ACB playoff berth in 22 years, although they were ultimately ousted in the quarterfinals by Real Madrid. His regular season averages stood at 7.3 points and 3.8 rebounds, which improved to 12.7 points and 4.7 rebounds during the postseason. The Spanish basketball publication Gigantes del Basket honored him with their 2017 "Top 5 Trophy," recognizing him as Liga ACB's "Most Spectacular Player of the Year."

Panathinaikos (2017–2019)

On July 11, 2017, Antetokounmpo committed to a two-year contract with EuroLeague contender Panathinaikos, competing in Greece’s premier Greek Basket League. He earned MVP honors at the 2018 Greek All-Star Game and helped Panathinaikos secure the 2017–18 Greek League title by defeating Olympiacos in a tightly contested five-game final series. Additionally, he was awarded the Greek League's Most Spectacular Player accolade for that season.

On February 17, 2019, he contributed to Panathinaikos’ Greek Cup triumph following a 79–73 win over PAOK at Heraklion Indoor Sports Arena. Later that year, on June 14, Antetokounmpo captured his second straight Greek Basket League championship as Panathinaikos swept Promitheas in the finals.

Milwaukee Bucks (2019–2024)

Antetokounmpo joined the Milwaukee Bucks on July 16, 2019, where he teamed up with his brother Giannis, marking them as the second set of brothers on the Bucks roster after twins Brook Lopez and Robin Lopez. The Bucks clinched the NBA championship in 2021, with Giannis earning Finals MVP honors.

He renewed his contract with Milwaukee on August 13, 2021, agreeing to a two-year extension. On April 10, 2022, Antetokounmpo posted a career-best performance of 27 points alongside five rebounds and two assists during a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

During a March 30, 2023 game against the Boston Celtics, Antetokounmpo was ejected following an altercation involving a headbutt on Celtics forward Blake Griffin, resulting in a one-game suspension without pay.

He signed another one-year contract with the Bucks on July 28, 2023. A clip showcasing his "Shammgod" move gained widespread attention during a February 10, 2024 matchup against the Charlotte Hornets. Throughout the 2023-24 NBA season, he appeared in 34 contests and scored efficiently with a total of 32 points. On May 8, 2024, it was announced that he would undergo surgery due to a torn Achilles tendon injury.

National team career

On May 3, 2016, Antetokounmpo was included in Nigeria’s preliminary roster for their national team training camp ahead of the Rio Olympics but chose instead to represent Greece internationally. He was named to Greece’s final squad for the 2016 Turin FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, averaging 7.3 points and 1.7 rebounds per game.

At the 2017 FIBA EuroBasket tournament, he averaged 6.1 points and grabbed 1.9 rebounds per contest for Greece. During the European qualifiers for the 2019 FIBA World Cup, his averages were 8.8 points and 1.8 rebounds; at the World Cup itself later that year, he contributed an average of 6.0 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.

In the course of the 2022 FIBA EuroBasket competition, Antetokounmpo posted averages of three points and 1.6 rebounds per game. His performance improved during the European qualifiers for the 2023 FIBA World Cup where he averaged 9.5 points and three rebounds per game. He also participated in the main tournament of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, recording averages of approximately four points and three rebounds per game.

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| New York | 2 || 0 || 3.1 || .750 || .000 || || .5 || .0 || .0 || .0 || 3.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee | 20 || 2 || 6.4 || .500 || .000 || .412 || 1.2 || .8 || .4 || .1 || 2.8 |- | style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"| † | style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee | 57 || 3 || 9.7 || .489 || .241 || .510 || 2.2 || .8 || .4 || .2 || 2.9 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee | 48 || 6 || 9.9 || .547 || .143 || .630 || 2.1 || .5 || .3 || .3 || 3.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee | 37 || 0 || 5.6 || .435 || .000 || .500 || 1.2 || .4 || .1 || .1 || 1.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee | 34 || 0 || 4.6 || .533 || .000 || .000 || .4 || .5 || .2 || .1 || .9 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 198 || 11 || 7.7 || .509 || .143 || .529 || 1.6 || .6 || .3 || .2 || 2.4

Playoffs

|- | style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;"| 2021† | style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee | 13 || 0 || 3.4 || .286 || || .833 || .8 || .2 || .4 || .2 || .7 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2022 | style="text-align:left;"| Milwaukee | 8||0||2.5||.667||||.333||.5||.1||.1||.0||.6 |- | style="text-align:left;" | 2023 | style="text-align:left;" | Milwaukee | 2||0||2.6||||||||0||0||0||0||0 |-

| style="text-align:left;" | 2024 
| style="text-align:left;" | Milwaukee 
| 2||0||2.4||||||||0||0|||.5|||.5|||0

|- class="sortbottom"

| style="text-align:center;" colspan= "2" | Career 
|25||0||3.0||.400||||.667||.6||.2||.3||.1||.6

EuroLeague

|-

| align= "left" | 2017–18 
| align= "left" rowspan= "2" | Panathinaikos 
| 33'|||26|||11.2|||.528|||.286|||.583|||.22|||.4|||.3|||.3|||3.6|||3.8 
|- 
| align= "left" | 2018–19 
|29|||9|||.12,1|||.593|||.318|||.448|||1,8|||.3|||.8|||.3|||.42||'3,9'
|- class= "sortbottom" 
| style= "text-align:center;" colspan= "2" | Career 
|62|||35|||11,7|||.560|||.306|||.523|||2,0|||.3|||.5|||.3|||3,9|||3,9

Personal life

Born in Athens, Greece, to Nigerian parents, Antetokounmpo was raised in the Sepolia district of Athens. His father Charles, now deceased, played soccer professionally, while his mother Veronica was a former high jumper athlete. Charles belonged to the Yoruba ethnic group, and Veronica is of Igbo descent. He officially became a Greek citizen on May 9, 2013, with the surname spelled Antetokounmpo in official records. Francis, his eldest brother, pursued a career in professional soccer.

His younger sibling, Giannis Antetokounmpo (born in 1994), was selected as the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. While Giannis is widely recognized as "The Greek Freak," Thanasis has been nicknamed "Greek Freak 2" and also referred to as "The Greek Streak." He is also the elder brother of Kostas and Alex, both of whom developed their skills with Filathlitikos. Kostas has experience playing in the NBA for teams such as the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers, as well as competing in the EuroLeague. Alex has played professionally in both the NBA G League and European leagues following his graduation from Dominican High School. Giannis acknowledges Thanasis as a significant influence on his basketball journey.

Thanasis shares twin daughters with his longtime partner Katia.

External links