MILWAUKEE — The road to the NBA was difficult for basketball’s most famous family with some of those hardships lingering even after moving to the United States. Thanasis Antetokounmpo joined Stephen Watson on the Bucks+ podcast series ‘Behind The Bucks‘ to discuss their family dynamic, inspiration, hardships and the experiences that shaped him, Giannis and their brothers.
The conversation was centered around the new documentary, ‘Giannis: The Marvelous Journey,’ which premiered on Amazon Prime on Feb. 19. During their conversation, Watson played segments of the film for Thanasis to react to, eliciting an emotional reaction from everyone involved.
One clip depicted the Antetokounmpo brothers recalling a Metro Station two stops from theirs, where racist attackers would drag people of color out, assault or rob them. Giannis, who was in the 12-to-14-year-old range at the time, broke down in tears reflecting on this experience. Even as a child, he felt the inability to defend his brothers deep in his soul.
“I know exactly how he feels because we are the example of, you know, just positivity and just trying to change the world and the culture, how people feel about each other, and try to bring everybody together,” Thanasis said of his brother’s emotional reaction.
At that age, it was incomprehensible for the Antetokounmpo brothers. Thanasis and Giannis, the older of the four brothers, would ponder how their father would think of them if he learned they were unable to protect their younger brothers.
To this day, six and a half years since Charles Antetokounmpo passed away from a heart attack at just 54, Thanasis and his brothers still think about him daily. Not only was Charles a key figure in their family and personal identities, but he was also their coach and trainer in pursuit of professional basketball careers.
“I would literally want to say, like, there’s so much respect I have for him and my mom for how they raised us and how much effort they gave just for us to keep our heads down and be nice to people and don’t retaliate and don’t be vindicitive and just don’t care about what people say in general and really be possible,” Thanasis explained. “I don’t think people realize this: It’s not us. We grew up like this. It’s not us.”
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Growing up, the Antetokounmpo brothers rarely saw their parents eat. Food was sparse and money was tight, but against all odds, their parents put their children first, instilled strong core values, and at times, comprimised their own wellbeing to make sure the children were taken care of.
Unlike many other parents of professional athletes, Charles didn’t get too involved with the professional side of things. Despite having incredibly talented sons, he was not a boastful man. Thanasis said he rarely got involved with the agents, oftentimes asking about their agents’ personal lives and families instead of engaging in conversations about his sons’ career prospects.
Charles looms heavily in their minds and hearts always.
“Especially when I have like, short hair, like sometimes when I cut my hair, I look in the mirror… I think about him every day,” Thanasis said. “To have this constant self awareness of trying to be the best version of yourself, even though you don’t have anything. Just trying to be the best version — they were trying to be the best parents ever.”
Thanasis recalls visiting the States for the first time when Giannis was drafted. Though much of the trip was a blur, he remembers a few moments: his brother being selected by the Milwaukee Bucks, and eating burgers and wings. He went back to Greece before he was selected 51st overall in the 2014 NBA Draft.
It was hard for both of the brothers to acclimate to the United States — especially without their parents or brothers nearby. Thanasis recalled a day off from the G League (then, D League) when he flew to Milwaukee for the second time ever. Renting a car was an uphill battle since he wasn’t yet 25, but thanks to some help from Bucks brass, Thanasis was eventually able to get a car.
Without a GPS, Thanasis set off for his brother’s home, traveling for at least 40 minutes before walking into a small Milwaukee dive bar for help. Some patrons helped him find the right direction, but it was no easy task finding Giannis’ house without clear directions. He eventually found the home, where his brother left a key for him. In all, they spent just five or six hours together before Thanasis traveled back to his D League team.
This family’s dedication to each other is second to none. You can learn more about their journey by visiting Bucks+ online via the web, app, or your podcast platform of choice.
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