Giannis Antetokounmpo loves his brother Thanasis so much that he has always been too honest with him. In fact, he even once frankly told him what job is perfect for him, and apparently, it wasn’t being an NBA player.
In a candid discussion on “Thanalysis Show” this past December, the Greek Freak openly told his older brother, who was set to miss the entire 2024-25 NBA season due to a torn Achilles tendon, that his charisma and personality make him a natural fit for an NBA show. He even suggested a perfect co-host for him.
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“We have somebody in our family that’s a great salesman, charming, great spokesperson that can set the record straight for me, for my mom, for my brothers, for my close friends, for my agent, for my team, for my organization, for my city, for my country, I want you, one day, Thanasis, to go to First Take,” Giannis boldly told his older brother. “Go to First Take. Sit down on the table, they’ll love you over there. Stephen A. Smith is your guy.”
Thanasis is back in the game
While Thanasis’ future as an NBA player seemed questionable, the EuroBasket helped open the doors for him back to the league.
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After witnessing his performances for the Greek National Team, Thanasis got the nod from the Milwaukee Bucks once again. The team has recently re-signed him for the upcoming season.
“They were here after the first game against Italy, and they were excited because I was playing defense,” he said of his return to Milwaukee. “I was doing my job, that’s my role. The important thing is that everyone who returns (after such an injury) with a team, or in a tournament like this, has to prove themselves again. That’s basketball. Whatever you have done so far counts; it’s your resume, but you have to prove it every day. That’s professional sports.”
Thanasis signed a one-year, $2.9 million deal with the Bucks and will be reunited with Giannis for the 2025-26 season.
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Giannis might have a point, though
Many have been very critical of Thanasis’ NBA career. Most people believe the Bucks are just being prompted to keep him because of his superstar and two-time MVP brother.
Based on Thanasis’ career stats, it’s hard to deny that there’s some truth to that accusation. In six seasons in the NBA, he only averaged 2.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 7.7 minutes per game, a far cry from his brother.
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That being said, perhaps Giannis was onto something when he suggested that Thanasis would be better off doing a show on ESPN with Stephen A. After all, nobody in the league knows him better than his own brother.
Whether Thanasis would take Giannis’ advice seriously is yet to be known. For now, it’s safe to say that his NBA career is still not over, with the Bucks ready to bank on his contributions once again.
It will be interesting to see how Thanasis performs in his second stint with the Bucks. It will be even more interesting to see what he does once he decides he no longer wants to play basketball — or the NBA makes that decision for him.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 13, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.