Dec 23, 2023; New York, New York, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (l) and his brother Milwaukee Bucks forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo (r) watch the game from the bench in the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Ex-NBA Player Shuts Down Negative Narrative on Bucks’ Latest Decision

Originally posted on Fastbreak on SI | By Justin Grasso | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 10:43 AM ET

The Antetokounmpo brothers made headlines this past weekend as the Milwaukee Bucks made a roster move that everybody could see coming from a mile away.

Thanasis Antetokounmpo, brother of Giannis, signed with the Bucks on a reported one-year deal. He puts pen to paper during his run with Greece at EuroBasket.

via @Thanasis_ante43: I’m back.

I’m back. pic.twitter.com/2L4VrngACi
— T. Antetokounmpo (@Thanasis_ante43) August 31, 2025

Since being in the NBA, Thanasis Antetokounmpo has spent five seasons playing for Milwaukee. Unlike his brother, the older Antetokounmpo has been limited to a bench role, averaging just 7.7 minutes per game throughout his career.

Considering Antetokounmpo’s lack of interest anywhere else, the popular narrative is that he wouldn’t have a spot on an NBA roster without Giannis’s presence in Milwaukee. Former NBA veteran Jeff Teague doesn’t necessarily disagree with that narrative, but he defended against any talks about the idea that Thanasis can’t play.

“He can hoop!” Teague said this week on Club 520. “I ain’t never going to say he can’t hoop, though. He can play in the NBA. Obviously, you see his highlights.”

One point that was made was that Antetokounmpo started his career with the New York Knicks. He was a second-round pick (51st overall) after having runs in Greece and in the NBA G League.

However, Milwaukee gave Thanasis his first real shot. He appeared in 20 games during the 2019-2020 NBA season. By year two with the Bucks, he appeared in a career-high 57 games with an average of 9.7 minutes of playing time during a championship-winning season.

For Thanasis, re-joining the Bucks after spending a season in recovery from an Achilles injury will be a good opportunity for the 33-year-old forward.

For Giannis, Teague believes the presence of his older brother will help his game as well.

“When his brother there, [Giannis] be hooping, hooping,” Teague explained.

Teague spent some time playing alongside the Antetokounmpo brothers during the Bucks’ 2020-2021 championship run. He saw firsthand the value of Thanasis when he was around the MVP-caliber big man.

During the last run Thanasis was on the Bucks, Giannis posted averages of 30.4 points, 6.5 assists, and 11.5 rebounds per game. Last season, he averaged the same amount of points, assists, and rebounds, while shooting slightly less efficiently from the field and the charity stripe.

Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks hope to bounce back after making some key changes this offseason.