The bond between brothers is forever, and Thanasis Antetokounmpo recently proved just that when he went on record to defend his brother Giannis from harsh critics. Thanasis even compared the Greek Freak to LeBron James and Nikola Jokic in an attempt to shut haters up.
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Giannis is the more skilled Antetokounmpo baller, but Thanasis was his teammate during the Milwaukee Bucks’ 2021 championship-winning team. The media has since come down on Giannis hard with criticisms as he hasn’t been able to win another title since. One critique they had was how the 30-year-old superstar has a very limited midrange game.
Thanasis, however, shut down that narrative on the latest episode of his basketball podcast, Thanalysis Show. His co-host mentioned that Giannis currently has the best midrange shooting percentage in the NBA, prompting Thanasis to go on a passionate rant about his brother’s work ethic, something the former MVP also acknowledged and highlighted on social media.
“Sometimes in the world, there are some people who just play through the ceiling,” he said. “It happens with LeBron. ‘You’re not going to be this athletic at 40 years old.’ Dunking on everybody. Nikola. ‘Nikola’s not athletic. He can’t really play in the NBA.” You know what I’m saying?”
Thanasis then broke down each critique made of Giannis in his career, and how his future Hall of Fame sibling has stomped them all out of existence. “First it was, ‘Oh my God. This guy, he’s scrawny. He can’t play in the NBA.’ Bulks up… Then the metrics were like, ‘Okay, he bulldozing everybody. We’re going to build a wall. He won’t pass.’ Great passer. Boom. Right in the money.”
“Now it’s like. ‘He can’t make free throws.’ Won a Finals game shooting 17 out of 17 free throws. ‘Okay, uh, he can’t make midrange.’ He comes in, he starts to make midrange,” he continued.
His point had already been made, but in case anyone missed it, Thanasis spelled it out. “When you tell Giannis you can’t do something…you don’t understand his work ethic. We grew up in the streets of Athens. Hard work, perseverance. Like bro, one thing you never want to say about Giannis is that he doesn’t want to improve or he’s not a hard worker.”
Giannis clearly appreciated what his big brother had to say, sharing Thanasis’s rant on his Instagram story. It was the perfect example of one brother standing up for another.
Giannis on IG pic.twitter.com/PNleo61yHi
— tragicpatek (@tragicpatek) July 22, 2025
It’s well known that Giannis and Thanasis share a close bond, shaped by their upbringing and mutual love for basketball. Watching Thanasis speak so passionately about the Bucks star is heartwarming because if anyone truly understands Giannis’s goals, it’s his brother. And this isn’t just empty talk. Giannis shot 44.2 percent from midrange on 4.2 attempts per game during the 2024–25 season, which ranked among the best in the league.
Now, Giannis is on a mission to improve every part of his game and chase that second ring like his life depends on it. Thanasis will be there with him every step of the way.
Jeff Teague once spoke about how close the Antetokounmpo bros are
Giannis has four brothers, but it’s clear that Thanasis is the one he shares the strongest bond with. If you need proof, just ask Jeff Teague. The retired NBA star, who was on the Bucks roster in 2021, spoke about their connection during an appearance on CTRL The Narrative.
“Him and his brother bro, they got a different kind of connection. He can’t function or play if he don’t see his brother,” said Teague, who specifically pointed to the 2021 Finals against the Phoenix Suns and how the Bucks went down 2-0 because of Thanasis’s absence.
Thanasis was diagnosed with COVID, and according to Teague, Giannis felt his absence at every moment. But once Thanasis returned, his energetic presence in the locker room lifted the team in a way that was impossible to ignore, even for Teague.
“Yeah, he matters. He makes a difference,” stated Teague. It might not be the same as dropping 41 points or grabbing 15 rebounds, but creating a positive environment can be just as valuable, especially during championship crunch time.
