It’s no secret that the Antetokounmpo brothers are very close.
From securing citizenship in Greece after fleeing Nigeria, selling items on the streets to support the family, and playing basketball together on local youth teams. Their story is so compelling that Disney released a movie to tell it.
But the brother’s “closeness” was on full display last night when Thanasis decided to pick Giannis’ nose before the start of the first regular season game.
You read that right…
He picked Giannis’ nose…with both hands…
Watch the short clip and enjoy a good cringe;
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To me, this looks pretty clean. No insertion into the nostrils. No flicking (that we can see) of a booger.
What stands out to me, though, are three things;
Thanasis saw something on the bottom of Giannis’ nose that was large enough to warrant an assist yet small enough that the camera couldn’t see.
Under both nostrils, nonetheless?
Second, is Thanasis actually thought this was a good idea immediately before the start of the game? All eyes are on the players at this point. Tip-off is 30 seconds away. Every camera is directly on the starters.
There’s a time and a place for everything, but this certainly was not it.
And finally, Giannis didn’t bat an eyelash. Not one second of hesitation or an evil eye directed at his brother to say…”what the hell are you doing?” This means that this might be a common practice in the household.
In terms of cringeworthy celebrity family moments caught on camera, I’d put this one in a close second just below Tom Brady kissing his son on the lips.
It is worth recognizing that there are cultural differences we should be respectful of. So, Giannis and Thanasis…you do you and get that Championship!