How Good Are Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Brothers? Exploring Alex, Kostas, & Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s Careers After NBA Champ’s Latest Remark

For some, the aspiration for sport seems to be in the blood! From Shaquille O’Neal’s children to LeBron James’ sons, the drive to excel in basketball seems to have passed down the generations. For Giannis Antetokounmpo, his parent’s sporting careers (his father was a soccer player and his mother is a former high jumper) not only motivated him but his siblings as well. If one were to ask the NBA player, then he would certainly place the talents of his brothers, Thannis, Kostas, and Alex, on a high pedestal.

The 29-year-old ‘Greek Freak’ is set to represent Greece in the 2024 Paris Olympics. As part of a promotional effort, he engaged in a Q&A, by the official X account of FIBA. When asked about the “three toughest opponents” that he would find hard to guard, Giannis straightaway proceeded to name his brothers! As to why he named his brothers, that answer was left for us to figure out.

Therefore, without any further delay, let us discuss how good Giannis’ brothers are.

Francis Antetokounmpo

The eldest of the five siblings, Francis, is the only one who wasn’t born in Greece. He was born in Lagos, Nigeria, where his father played soccer. After Dad’s retirement, they moved to Greece. Unlike his younger brothers, Francis never played professional basketball. Instead, he followed in his father’s footsteps and pursued a soccer career and plied his trade at AE Sparti and Aittitos Spaton. Interestingly, he’s also a music artist, and he goes by his middle name ‘Ofili’.

Thanasis Antetokounmpo

The second-eldest Antetokounmpo developed an aspiration for basketball very early on. But he continued to sell watches, handbags, and sunglasses along with Giannis to help make ends meet. As Thansis turned 16, he started playing for EFAO Zografou B.C.’s junior team, popularly known as Filathlitikos. It took him 3 years before the club allowed him to play at the professional level.

The future NBA player first rose to the spotlight in his second senior season, when he averaged 12.2 points alongside just under 5 rebounds and 1 assist. While he was not selected to play in 2013’s Greek All-Star Game, a few influential coaches still got him as a special participant. When Giannis went on to declare for the 2013 NBA Draft, Thanasis followed but withdrew at the last moment.

He returned a year later, after spending a season with the Delaware 76ers of the NBA D-League. During his brief tenure, he played 50 games, averaging 12 points, 4.3 rebounds, and a little over 2 assists. His entry into the NBA in 2014 (51st overall pick) saw him join the Westchester Knicks for two seasons. He would then sign a 10-day contract with the New York Knicks. Meanwhile, Giannis was already establishing his footing at the Milwaukee Bucks.

Thanasis also played in the Summer League for the Knicks, but he could only average 3 points and just under 2 rebounds. In a couple of games, he played for the NY franchise in the 2016 regular season, his performances didn’t really improve. The Knicks chose to not renew the player’s contract, and he didn’t return to the NBA court until 2019.

While joining the Bucks allowed him to reunite with Giannis, the tough competition wouldn’t allow him to perform. Today, after having played for 5 seasons in Milwaukee, his average score stands at 2.4 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game and the recent 2023-24 season saw him put up only 0.9 points per game.

Kostas Antetokounmpo

Growing up, Kostas was provided an opportunity that wasn’t easily available to his brothers. He kicked off his basketball career in the Dominican high school in Wisconsin. It was made possible after Giannis was drafted to the Bucks allowing him and his family to relocate to America. Unlike his elder brothers, Kostas went to an American college, playing for the University of Daytona for two seasons. In 2018, he declared for the NBA Draft.

After being taken in by the Mavericks, Kostas didn’t get many opportunities to play during his rookie season, only appearing in 2 games. After being hired by the Los Angeles Lakers as the Dallas side waived him, he appeared in 15 games in the 2020-21 season. However, there was no improvement from his previous stint, since Kostas averaged a mere 0.8 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.1 assists. His NBA tenure then came to an end after he signed a two-way contract with the Bulls and was waived without playing a single NBA game for the franchise.

Despite his not-so-noteworthy experience with the NBA, Kostas did have some success while being a part of Greece’s national team. During the 2016 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship Division B, his team secured the bronze medal.

Alex Antetokounmpo

The youngest of the siblings, Alex, followed in Kostas’ footsteps, pursuing basketball right from his high school days. However, he chose not to take his talents to the US. Releasing a statement in 2020, he expressed his wish to play overseas. “I was born and raised in Europe, I know European basketball and the best thing for me would be to sign a contract with a European club.” Before this decision, 247 Sports had rated him as a 3-star prospect, and he had already received an offer from the Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Heading to Spain, Alex signed with UCAM Murcia from the Liga ACB league in June 2020. His reserve team debut was noteworthy, as he scored 28 points and 6 rebounds, going 6-9 from deep! On the main roster, he played only one game, which did not yield any points.

After joining the Sacramento Kings in the NBA Summer League, his performance in 4 games wasn’t the best, as Alex could only average 0.5 points, and 0.75 rebounds with close to no presence from the shooting aspect.

Things slightly improved for the youngest Antetokoumpo after he switched 3 different teams in 3 years, two of them being in the G League. Currently playing for the M Basket Mažeikiai club based in Lithuania, his recent season saw the player averaging 8.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.2 assists.

Having lived with his brothers for years, Giannis Antetokounmpo may know more about their skills than us. This is what may have caused him to blurt out their three names in the Q&A. Having averaged 29.9 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 6 assists in his last four seasons with the Bucks, the majority of players around the Greek Freak’s age are far from coming close to the player’s standards.