Which Teams Do the Antetokounmpo Brothers Play On?
After having one of the most successful rookie years in the NBA, Giannis Antetokounmpo soared to unimaginable heights. And we suspect the 24-year-old forward is not even close to hitting the peak of his career. With Giannis’s older brother briefly appearing in the NBA, many fans wondered if all five of the Antetokounmpo brothers are athletically gifted.
Here’s what we know about the brothers who play pro basketball and which teams they play on.
Where are the Antetokounmpo brothers from?
In total, there are five sons in the Antetokounmpo family. The oldest brother, Francis Antetokounmpo, is 31 years old. The other brothers include Thanasis, 26; Giannis, 24; Kostas, 22; and Alex, 18.
The Antetokounmpo brothers’ parents lived in Lagos, Nigeria when the oldest, Francis, was born. Because both parents were struggling to make ends meet in Nigeria, they chose to leave Francis with his grandparents and migrate to Greece in hopes of finding better employment. The other four brothers were all born and raised in Sepolia, Athens.
Because of Greek citizenship laws, none of the brothers were considered Greek citizens despite being born in the country. When Giannis wanted to travel to America for the NBA draft, he ran into problems. Considered to be “stateless,” he was not technically a citizen of Greece or Nigeria.
According to NBA.com, the Greek Basketball Federation tried desperately hard to get Giannis his Greek citizenship papers, but an extremist political group fought to prevent the Antetokounmpo brother from becoming a citizen.
Finally, after months of fighting within the Greek government, Giannis was given a choice to become a Greek citizen or Nigerian citizen. He chose Greece.
Which Antetokounmpo brothers play in the NBA?
So far, only three out of the five brothers have had an NBA career. In the 2013 draft, Giannis was selected in the first round draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. In his first year, he impressed fans and coaches alike.
Since joining the Bucks, Giannis has won several awards for his outstanding athletic abilities. At the start of the 2016-17 season, Giannis signed a four-year contract with the Bucks that was reportedly worth $100 million.
Giannis’ older brother Thanasis debuted in 2014 when he was drafted by the Knicks. He played for the Knick’s D-League affiliate team, the Westchester Knicks, for three seasons. This past summer, however, he was drafted by his brother’s team, the Milwaukee Bucks. Now he plays for the Buck’s G-League affiliate team, the Wisconsin Herd.
In 2018, Kostas Antetokounmpo was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers but was later traded to the Dallas Mavericks. This past summer, he was waived by the Mavericks and later picked up by the Los Angeles Lakers. He now plays in the G League for the South Bay Lakers.
Do the other Antetokounmpo brothers play sports?
The oldest and the younger brother are the only two who are not currently playing for the NBA. Francis did play basketball for a little while in Greece. However, his basketball career never quite reached the same level as his brother’s. Instead, Francis fell in love with soccer. He’s currently a midfielder for a professional soccer club in Greece.
The youngest brother, Alex, has not yet been signed by the NBA, but this is expected to change when he graduates college. Alex is still young, but so far, his high-school basketball skills are impressive. We are pretty sure you’ll see Alex’s name at the NBA draft some day.
