Is Thanasis Antetokounmpo only in the league because of his brother? Amid the Bucks’ early-season struggles, that question has become more and more frequent in the community. But amid growing criticism towards Thanasis, Cavaliers rookie Emoni Bates stood up for the 6’6″ forward and shot down the notion that he’s undeserving of his roster spot.
“Y’all quick to call somebody trash. Y’all don’t even know what dude been through and what he had to do to get her,” wrote Bates on Instagram. “He’s probably one of the best locker room guys. He keeps the energy up, makes sure to do his job everyday without complaint like lol. Y’all. beso quick to judge somebody for some clout it’s sad bro fr we gotta do better.”
Emoni Bates defends Thanasis Antetokounmpo pic.twitter.com/bcjKY5HUeT
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 3, 2023
Thanasis started in the G-League back in 2013 and made his first NBA roster two years later. In just two games for the Knicks that season, he scored six points in six minutes played. After a brief stint overseas (with Spain and then Greece), Thanasis was signed by the Bucks, where he’s been ever since. On paper, there’s no reason to think that Milwaukee picked him up only for Giannis, but Thanasis has never been a regular part of the rotation and some fans see it as a complete waste of resources to keep him around.
Are The Bucks Guilty Of Nepotism?
It’s no secret that NBA teams will do anything to keep their stars and the Bucks are no different. They traded for Damian Lillard this summer with Giannis in mind and only hired new coach Adrian Griffin with Giannis’ blessing. With this in mind, it’s not crazy to think that the Bucks signed Thanasis as a solid to their star. Giannis, after all, is notorious for being a family man and there’s no doubt he’d love to have his brother with him in the locker room.
While this act is not necessarily a bad thing, it can be detrimental for a team in the middle of a title pursuit. In the Bucks’ case, Thanasis is still on the roster today despite being almost completely absent from the rotation. So far this season, he’s only played 11 minutes with two shot attempts. Despite the numbers, though, Thanasis brings value in other ways and only the players know what he’s like in the locker room. But no matter how many Antetokoumop brothers make the NBA, they all have a lot to be proud of, considering how they got to this point.
The Antetokounmpo Story Is Wild
Including Giannis, there are a total of five Antetokounmpo brothers, ranging from 21 to 35 years old. Together, they grew up in the Athens neighborhood of Sepolia, where their parents had immigrated from Nigeria. Throughout the years, Giannis and his brothers struggled to make ends meet and had to resort to selling random objects in the street in order to survive. They used to have to walk over five miles to access the local gym, where the guys would often have to share one pair of sneakers.
For Giannis, basketball was a way to escape the hardships of life, and he found comfort on the court even when things were going wrong in his everyday life. Somehow, maybe through sheer will and hard luck, Giannis and his brothers made it out of poverty and into a life of luxury. Thanasis wasn’t just along for the ride, he was leading the show until the very end and it makes sense why Giannis could want him around during his career in the league.
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