Getty Thanasis Antetokounmpo #43 of the Milwaukee Bucks checks in for Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Thanasis Antetokounmpo nearly left the Milwaukee Bucks and his younger brother, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, for the New York Knicks.
“[It was] Close,” Thanasis Antetokounmpo told Basketnews before Greece lost to Team USA on Monday in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
“Obviously, Giannis is my brother, and obviously, I love Milwaukee. I love Milwaukee. But at the same time… I want to play. You always want to play and feel important,” the older Antetokounmpo continued.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on July 28 that Thanasis chose to return to the Bucks over multiple options, including the Knicks.
Thanasis revealed that his talk with the Bucks’ new coach Adrian Griffin during free agency ultimately sealed his return to the Bucks over the Knicks, who have a vacuum in their backup power forward spot after they traded Obi Toppin to the Indiana Pacers.
“[Griffin] said he appreciates the way I play, he values my game,” Thanasis Antetokounmpo told Basketnews. “You know, every coach has a different opinion of everybody. But when I picked the teams, hearing the coach and everything… I thought this was the place for me.”
“And obviously, the Milwaukee fanbase has been… You don’t know how much I love the Bucks, their fanbase, and how the city has embraced my family for so many years. So it was a no-brainer.”
“But at the same time, I’m an athlete, and you want to feel important. You want to feel a part of the team. And sometimes there are other places where they want to provide you with an opportunity, just show us what you got,” he added.
Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s Past History With Knicks
It would have been full circle for Thanasis had he opted to sign with the Knicks.
The 31-year-old Greek forward was the Knicks’ 51st overall pick in 2014.
Thanasis played for the Knicks Summer League in consecutive years in 2014 and 2015. He was named to the 2015 NBA D-League (now G League) All-Defensive second team during his stint with the Westchester Knicks, averaging 13.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game. After his outstanding play in the developmental league, the Knicks signed him, only to waive him after playing in three preseason games.
In 2016, Thanasis earned a 10-day contract with the Knicks averaging 3.0 points in three minutes over two games.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Opens Door for Knicks
Thanasis’ more illustrious brother, Giannis, opened up about a potential move to another team in a recent interview with the New York Times.
“The real question’s not going to be this year — numbers-wise, it doesn’t make sense,” Antetokounmpo said in the New York Times story. “But next year, next summer, it would make more sense for both parties. Even then, I don’t know.”
“The real question’s not going to be this year — numbers-wise, it doesn’t make sense,” Antetokounmpo said in the New York Times story. “But next year, next summer, it would make more sense for both parties. Even then, I don’t know.”
Antetokounmpo will be eligible to sign a three-year extension worth about $173 million later this offseason. But he said he’ll only sign if he and the Bucks are on the same page in pursuing another NBA title.
The Knicks have been monitoring Giannis Antetokounmpo’s situation, according to ESPN’s NBA insider Brian Windhorst, which adds intrigue to their failed move of signing his older brother this offseason.