Thanasis Antetokounmpo, the brother of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has made his decision regarding the 2022-23 season. With the deadline to exercise his player option looming, Thanasis has informed the Milwaukee Bucks that he will exercise his player option for the upcoming season. He is due to make $1.88 million this season.
Sources: Milwaukee Bucks forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo has exercised his $1.88 million player option for the 2022-23 season, @hoopshype has learned.
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) June 18, 2022
Thanasis Antetokounmpo Had a Career Year in 2021-22
Of course, Thanasis Antetokounmpo is not nearly as good of a basketball player as a younger brother. This is not a knock on Thanasis at all. Giannis Antetokounmpo is arguably the best basketball player in the NBA, maybe even in the world.
In his own right, though, Thanasis did have his best NBA season last year. Thanasis appeared in 48 games, starting six of them. He averaged 3.6 points per game, the most in his career. Thanasis also averaged 2.1 rebounds, the second highest mark of his career.
These numbers, of course, came in limited playing time. Thanasis is largely relegated to garbage time minutes and rarely sees meaningful minutes.
Related: Thanasty Thoughts on Thanasis
The Human Battery
Despite being buried at the back end of the Bucks bench, Thanasis Antetokounmpo does bring a certain amount of energy to the team. Oftentimes, Bucks fans will call him the league’s most expensive cheerleader. This is meant as a dig against Thanasis for not being as good as his brother.
Come for the @pconnaughton dunk.
Stay for the @Thanasis_ante43 reaction 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/40Ht2OfUFz
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) February 2, 2021
However, the Milwaukee Bucks do not view Thanasis as any kind of burden at all. The intensity he brings to practice and warm-ups helps everyone get into the proper competitive mindset.
He Is Fun to Watch When He Plays
When Thanasis Antetokounmpo is on the floor, there are times where he makes mistakes due to being too hyped up. However, this intensity also brings with it a plethora of exciting plays.
Greek Freaks???
For his first points with the Bucks…Thanasis Antetokounmpo grabs a poster!🏀
— PointsBet Sportsbook (@PointsBetUSA) November 2, 2019
Giannis' reaction to this Thanasis dunk 😂 pic.twitter.com/cZLYqaR0Mk
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 26, 2021
This is a sentiment shared by many Bucks fans:
Thanasis could play 10 seconds or 10 minutes, you always know he will find his dunk one way or another
— 🦌🏆💍 (@SnellSZN) March 1, 2022
One of my favorite parts about being a Buck fan is watching Thanasis dunk over everyone when we are up by 30 in the 4th quarter.
— JamesInSix (@_JamesInSix) January 14, 2022
If I don’t see a 4th quarter Thanasis thunder dunk tonight, then was it even worth it?
— Matt Carroll (@MKEMatt13) June 26, 2021
Thanasis Brings the Same Energy Wherever He Plays
Most of Thansis Antetokounmpo’s professional career has been spent overseas. In three professional seasons in Europe, Thanasis has career averages of 5.7 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. He also has been known to make those same exciting dunks:
A FREAKISH dunk from @Thanasis_ante43 🚀#7DAYSMagicMoment pic.twitter.com/MbpOzfaaCd
— Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) January 18, 2019
The 'Dunk of the Night'@Thanasis_ante43 with ATTITUDE! 😤 pic.twitter.com/pc2soNFqew
— Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) November 3, 2018
What Is Next for the Milwaukee Bucks?
Now that Thanasis Antetokounmpo has exercised his player option, the Milwaukee Bucks are now waiting to hear from two more players about their decisions: Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton.
General manager Jon Horst said recently that the Bucks will not have any discussion with either player until they let the team know what they decide to do about their player options. This is especially stressful for Bucks fans, as Bobby Portis is an immensely popular player in Milwaukee.
Related: Everything you need to know about Jon Horst’s latest interview
Earlier this offseason, the Bucks and their fans got good news as a rumor stated that Portis was expected to sign a multi-year extension with Milwaukee. However, Portis has recently taken down his pictures of him in a Bucks uniform off of Twitter, leading many to wonder if he will, indeed, re-sign with the Bucks.
Pat Connaughton, too, is a vital member of the Bucks’ bench. With Portis starting many games this year due to the absence of Brook Lopez, Connaughton became the Bucks leading scorer off the bench. He provides solid defense and reliable shooting on a team that lacked both on their bench unit.
If the Bucks are to make another run at a NBA Championship, they will need both Portis and Connaughton to do so. The deadline for them to exercise their options is June 30. This means fans have a little over a week and a half to wait.
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