When the Milwaukee Bucks decided to sign Thanasis Antetokounmpo, brother of reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, a lot of people were a bit surprised. Drafted 51st overall pick by the New York Knicks back in 2014, Thanasis was never able to find his footing in the NBA. He's played most of his professional career in Europe, where he found a lot of success before trying his luck in the NBA once again.
But because Antetokounmpo is Thanasis' surname, people can't help but immediately compare him to his brother, and when fans look at it that way, the Bucks' decision doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. But general manager Jon Horst was quick to defend the franchise's move, saying in an interview with The Athletic's Eric Nehm that Thanasis is a great player who can help the team, especially on the defensive end. Horst also added that the Bucks have already tried to sign the eldest Antetokounmpo before.
“That’s the obvious, easy answer, so people will say whatever they’re going to say. The truth is Thanasis is a player that was drafted young into the NBA before anyone knew who Giannis was based on his athleticism, based on his toughness, his passion to play. He’s a phenomenal athlete that plays hard, defends at a high level and he’s had a nice development path in Europe. Maybe it’s because of his last name that we paid attention to him in Europe, but we watch him a lot, we study him a lot, we talk about him a lot. This is not the first time we’ve tried to have Thanasis be a part of our roster, this is just the first time it’s worked out.”
Thanasis will have an opportunity to prove his doubters wrong as he's set to suit for one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. Playing with his brother may or may not ease the pressure for him, but if he's good enough to make it to the Bucks' regular rotation, then fans might just see another Antetokounmpo start to make a name for himself in the NBA. He's still just 27 years old, which means he'll have plenty of time to show what he's really capable of.
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