Title-winning former Milwaukee Bucks reserve forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo, currently a man without a team as he rehabilitates from a May 2024 Achilles tendon surgery, has had plenty of time to reflect on his NBA journey lately.
During a recent episode of his podcast, in conversation with former Bucks All-Star shooting guard Michael Redd, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s big brother recalled how he struggled to find his footing during his inaugural tenure in the league.
Following a D-League (now G League) stint with the Philadelphia 76ers’ affiliate, the then-Delaware 87ers (now the Delaware Blue Coats) in 2013-14, the 6-foot-7 combo forward was selected with the No. 51 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks.
Antetokounmpo played for the Knicks proper during the 2014 NBA Summer League, but played exclusively with New York’s then-D-League squad, the Westchester Knicks. in 47 games for Westchester, Antetokounmpo logged averages of 13.9 points, 6.2 boards, 1.7 dimes, 1.7 swipes and 1.7 rejections a night across 47 contests with the club, and was named a D-League All-Defensive Second Teamer.
At the time, six-time All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony was starring for a struggling New York squad, and he took a liking to Antetokounmpo early.
“I remember… I just got drafted,” Antetokounmpo said, “and Melo, Sasha Vujacic… just took me, you know, under the wing. They would, like, you know, take me out. I didn’t know anybody.”
He signed with New York proper in August 2015 but was waived in October following three preseason game appearances. Antetokounmpo then rejoined Westchester but was signed to a single 10-day deal with New York in January 2016. After the deal expired, Antetokounmpo returned to Westchester to finish out the year.
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From Anthony, Antetokounmpo sought an answer to perhaps the most pressing question for any fringe NBA talent: how can players stand out from the pack and stick in the league? “Just from demeanor. Just from demeanor. Only you will be above average,” Antetokounmpo claimed Anthony told him. “And then he would tell me even more stories… About how guys are so competitive… And he [stuck] with me.”
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This isn’t the first time Thanasis Antetokounmpo has given Anthony his flowers. During an appearance on Hall of Fame center Dwight Howard’s “Above The Rim With DH12” podcast, Antetokounmpo recalled how Anthony helped him power through a grueling early moment.
Antetokounmpo recalled the moment when a former Knicks coach made him complete a round of push-ups every time he missed a shot during a practice.
“Every time this happens, I’m doing from 10 to 20, from 20 to 30. I’m going like up in the push-ups. So it’s basically a trap. He’s just doing it just to do it.”
When Anthony happened to wander into the gym, he called out the coach for this punitive approach, a gesture Antetokounmpo still thinks about.
Antetokounmpo went on to play abroad for three seasons following his Knicks years, before joining his brother in Milwaukee from 2019-24 as a deep-bench reserve. Across 196 regular season stints with the Bucks, Thanasis Antetokounmpo averaged 2.4 points on 50.9 percent shooting from the field and 52.9 percent shooting from the foul line, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.6 assists a night.
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