Thanasis Antetokounmpo is one of the more well-known 15th-man players in the NBA. His brother Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the top players in the league but he spends most of his time on the bench only coming in when there is a blowout. However, this does not mean that he does not have value. Giannis talked about the value he has in a recent interview but apparently, others don’t see it. Thanasis Antetokoumnpo was completely disrespected by NBA executives in a recent anonymous interview.
When asked if Thanasis Antetokounmpo would be on an NBA roster without Giannis Antetokounmpo's assistance, three NBA officials responded as follows:
An NBA player personnel director: “No,’’ he responded immediately.
An NBA scout: “Let me think about this for a few seconds. (He… pic.twitter.com/PPAxM8qEM0
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) April 7, 2023
Thanasis Antetokounmpo Disrespected By NBA Execs
The question was if Thanasis would be on an NBA roster without Giannis’ assistance. The anonymous front office members didn’t hold back.
An NBA player personnel director: “No,’’ he responded immediately.
An NBA scout: “Let me think about this for a few seconds. (He then pauses for about 10 seconds before answering). No.’’
An NBA general manager: “Hey, we know what that’s all about. It’s all about appeasing Giannis. But to answer your question, no.’’ via Gery Woelfel
Basically, NBA executives think that Thanasis is only there because of Giannis. His basketball skills do not factor in at all.
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His Value Goes Beyond Basketball
Two thoughts on this. One, it’s the 15th guy on a team. Is it really that important for teams to get a highly skilled player for the 15th man? Of course not! This is supposed to be the glue guy. Someone who works hard and cheers the team on from the bench. This is needed in all teams. Two, Thanasis makes Giannis feel more comfortable and at home. This seems to make Giannis want to be in Milwaukee as the team has shown him goodwill in signing his brother. Let’s say that Thanasis is a wasted roster spot. Is wasting the 15th spot on your roster worth keeping the best player in the world happy? I’d say yes.
This is an unnecessary attack on Thanasis Antetokounmpo. His value goes beyond what he can do on the court and I wouldn’t discount what he can do there either.
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