The 2024 NBA All-Star Game was a high-scoring affair, with Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the Eastern Conference to a 211-186 victory over LeBron James and the Western Conference. Antetokounmpo didn't have the biggest night on his team (23 PTS, 7 REB, 1 AST, 11/16 FGM), but he still managed to make a big impact in the defense-free contest to help his squad get the win.
Antetokounmpo's team made a statement by dropping an All-Star Game record 211 points, but he also made a statement himself with his sneakers for the game. Giannis paid tribute to his older brother, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, by writing a message saying “Thanasis thanks for sharing” on his white and red Kobe 4s. As it turns out, this had quite a bit of meaning, as Thanasis would let Giannis borrow his white and red Kobe 4s when they were younger and couldn't afford basketball shoes.
Giannis Antetokounmpo brings a family story full circle on his Zoom Freak 5s for the All-Star Game.
Growing up, Giannis couldn’t afford his own basketball shoes. His older brother Thanasis would lend him his pair of white and red Kobe 4s between practices and games.
Tonight’s… pic.twitter.com/OVuSCJWBNR
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) February 19, 2024
This an awesome gesture from Giannis, as it shows just how far the duo have come. While Thanasis isn't the superstar that Giannis is, they both get to play together on the Milwaukee Bucks, which is a lot better than sharing shoes at practices and games when they were younger because they had to. Nowadays, both guys could probably buy any shoe in the world that they want to.
The family ties on the Bucks between the Antetokounmpo brothers are clearly strong, and the hope is that Giannis will help power Milwaukee on a deep postseason run with Thanasis and the rest of their squad supporting him. It's going to be easier said than done given the recent slide the team has been dealing with, but as long as Giannis is at the controls, the Bucks will have a shot to come out on top.
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