Thanasis Antetokounmpo has been on the Milwaukee Bucks since the 2019/20 season and has been an end-of-bench option for years. Giannis Antetokounmpo has ensured his brother is in the NBA and fans were criticizing him for ‘nepotism’ after garbage time Thanasis highlights left fans extremely underwhelmed.
Thanasis shows why he BELONGS in the NBA 😤 pic.twitter.com/REgaZlrWL1
— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) October 30, 2023
One fan called it a classic example of nepotism.
Thanasis Antetokounmpo is a prime example of why nepotism is bad 💀 pic.twitter.com/Pyf7Q3sw55
— Slam (@slamstudios) October 30, 2023
Some fans resorted to calling Thanasis simply awful.
This guy is Awful Bro
— Se (@Digitaal2) October 30, 2023
Fans continued mocking this highlight reel of bad Thanasis plays in garbage time.
Him fr 😂ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ¤£ pic.twitter.com/jMciWkI77C
— Joshua Tree (@AttipoeTree) October 31, 2023
Fans clearly saw that Thanasis was not NBA-caliber, but also praised Giannis for keeping his brother in the league.
Bro is NOT an NBA player lmao
Shout out Giannis for holding it down though 🤣
— Shady (@ShadyMikeGaming) October 31, 2023
Fans were upset that Thanasis is keeping a roster spot away from a player with actual talent that could use the opportunity.
This is actually offensive to the kids who actually have talent trying to make a spot on a roster
— mike (@cryptomuse) October 31, 2023
Fans know Thanasis has job security until Giannis is on the roster.
Bros got the easiest guaranteed job in the world lmao.
— Potti.hl (@potti_cs) October 31, 2023
Fans even questioned if Thanasis practices, that’s how bad his highlights were.
Does this dude even practice? WTHHHHHHHHH was that lol
— Currency365 (@Currency365) October 30, 2023
His presence has been controversial for a while, though many people justified it when it first happened due to Thanasis still having some NBA value. He came into the league with the Knicks initially in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft. However, he’s never been a rotational player and has been floating on the Bucks bench as a locker-room guy for years.
If I were in Giannis’ shoes and could guarantee a million-dollar payday for my brother while keeping him around me for everyday life, I’d do it, too. Even if the opportunity could be better utilized by someone else, there is value in having a player who can manage the emotions and ego of the franchise superstar.
Thanasis is known to challenge Giannis the most in the locker room without upsetting their dynamic, given that Thanasis is the elder brother, even if Giannis is far more talented.
Would Not Having Thanasis On The Roster Make A Difference?
NBA rosters are 15 players deep because every team is likely going to have 12 or 13 players in the actual rotation over a season. Only 8-9 will ultimately make it onto a playoff rotation, so having the 15th guy on your roster be unplayable isn’t that big a factor. The Miami Heat just had two Finals runs with a thin roster and their 15th man being Udonis Haslem. His presence gave them locker room stability and was worth the money.
Thanasis may not influence the entire Bucks locker room, but he does have a lot of influence over his younger brother. Keeping Giannis happy by employing Thanasis is something every NBA team would do, so the blame should be more on the teams than the Antetokounbros. Who would turn this down? Given the Bucks also signed and waived Alex Antetokounmpo to retain his G League rights, it’s clear the franchise doesn’t have a problem with bringing in more Antetokounmpos into their organization.
Over his four seasons with the Bucks, Thanasis has averaged 2.7 points and 1.8 rebounds. He hasn’t been an impactful player on the court, but he’s still an NBA Champion and will continue being on the roster until he can still remotely play basketball.
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