Thanasis Antetokounmpo has had a front row seat for many Milwaukee Bucks victories, and many of his younger brother Giannis’ career milestones – and that was no different on Nov. 30 when Giannis had the first 40-point triple-double of his career when he scored 42 points, pulled down 12 rebounds and handed out 11 assists against the Washington Wizards.
Except this time, Thanasis’ vantage point was across the court from the Bucks’ bench, and he was cheering in street clothes as opposed to a uniform.
It was his fourth game watching his former team play, and fans were quick to tell him afterward that the Bucks were unbeaten with him in attendance. His appearance on the scoreboard on Nov. 20 drew a roar. Videos of his animated reaction to a Gary Trent off-the-backboard pass to Giannis Antetokounmpo for a dunk on Nov. 23 were widely shared on social media platforms.
Those were his first games back in the arena for the 32-year-old free agent forward, as he suffered an Achilles injury during a workout shortly after the Bucks were eliminated in the first-round of the playoffs against Indiana on May 2.
“It’s a weird feeling,” he said through his trademark smile. “But it’s good, though. It’s a weird, good feeling not being in the locker room with the guys and stuff like that, but go be able to support the team, support my brother, support my guys in any way that I can and try not to be a distraction and really be a positive for what they’re trying to do and add to their mojo. That’s all. Add to their mojo.”
Thanasis’ contract expired in the summer, and as he is rehabbing he remains unsigned.
Unsigned. Not retired. And assuredly, not inactive.
“After that, man, I got back to work right away,” he said in an interview with the Journal Sentinel. “Right away. I was like no, I’m here – let’s go.
“I didn’t miss a beat when it came to my rehab. I’ve been working almost every day, six out of seven days. That’s why I’m in this condition that I am now. Guys see me out there like hey man, you look great. I was like, thank you, I’ve been working my butt off, I’m not gonna lie. I’m just proud.”
More:Jrue Holiday says Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of his ‘favorite people’ as former Bucks guard recalls special moments
He said he initially thought he strained his calf, but in the immediate aftermath of the diagnosis of a torn Achilles he thought what was suddenly snatched from him – the chance to help Greece make the Olympic Games.
Antetokounmpo had played on the national team since 2016.
“That was the – I can’t even describe the first hour and then the first two, three days – I can’t even describe…it would be…it was hard,” he said with pauses, unusually having to search for words. “You don’t understand. Because I’m thinking about national team.”
He waved off the idea that he thought about his NBA career, however.
“Free agency was cool but I’m an amazing athlete so I’m coming back either way,” he said. “If I come back September or I come back December, January or February it’s OK. I understand. I already know that. This is the fight for the Olympics, a chance to fight with my brothers. There’s two jerseys I love wearing the most and one of them is the national team. It was heartbreaking. It was heartbreaking for me.”
He knew couldn’t stay in that space, however.
‘I love you old man’:On Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 30th birthday, wife Mariah pens sweet Instagram tribute to her ‘best friend’
He had surgery as quickly as he could, and was with the Greek national team as Giannis and another younger brother, Kostas, helped the nation qualify for its first Games since 2008. Thanasis watched Giannis become the first Black flag bearer to open the Olympics as the Greek contingent led the Parade of Nations down the River Seine.
“I’ll tell you one thing about me – and this is a technique everybody should use who will read this – it’s what you think about,” he said. “If you think about negative thoughts a lot, that’s what happens. If you think about positive stuff, that’s what happens. So after I got hurt and I thought about it a little bit, it’s gone, it’s out the window.
“There’s nothing you tell me that’s going to make me feel like ‘oh, you could be playing.’ Of course I could be playing. But my brother’s out there! And I’m happy. And I’m proud. That feeling outweighs the feeling of feeling sorry for myself or feeling a type of way of ‘I could be out there.’
“Seeing my brother raise his flag in the middle of Paris, in the middle of the river in a boat and Greece being the first countries to come out, the feeling after the win after we qualified and them bringing the torch in the locker room, it’s big for us. It’s big. All this injured and not feeling good goes out of the window immediately.”
He wasn’t going to be slowed down at his brother’s wedding, either. Or take a leave from his other, off-court interests.
He said he had to re-learn how to walk properly but says he has constantly surprised people with his relatively quick progress.
“I don’t play by my rules – I play by God’s rules,” he said. “I follow to the T exactly what they tell me and then what I do is whenever God tells me I’m ready, I’m ready. If somebody comes tomorrow, ‘Let’s go! You ready!’ and I’m telling you if God doesn’t make me feel I’m ready, not ready. But vice versa. If God tells me I’m ready, there’s nothing you can tell me. Nothing. Nothing.”
Now about seven months after his injury, Thanasis has a timeline for a return in his head but he does not want to disclose it publicly just yet. But he said he’s hit every marker in his rehab early and is confident that he will be back in the NBA as soon as he’s able.
More:Milwaukee Bucks schedule 2024-2025 season
“Of course, man,” he said.
“Because of everything that you do in life, and how much you want something, it does play a role. Because you never see yourself saying ‘oh my God, this what happened to me, this is what I have to do.’ No. You sit down, and you look up in the sky and you say OK, God, is this what you want from me? Do you want me to sit? I’ll sit.
“If you give me a head (start), if you give me a chance, if you give me any glimpse that I can go out there and give everything I have – I will. It doesn’t matter looking back or looking good. It doesn’t matter how I look. It’s not about stats. It’s about literally being the front line. We come from a cloth like this. I come from a cloth that’s the front liners. We go to war and we’re the guys who go to the front.
“So, I’m very, very dedicated. And I’m patiently aggressive. I’m happy I’m in the final stages of it. So, I’m very excited.”
This has been the first time in his adult life that he wasn’t playing basketball, be it in the NBA, overseas, or with the Greek national team, so his typically incandescent energy has had to be directed someplace. He eventually got to the point where he could go watch a game in person. He’s increased the frequency of his podcast, “Thanalysis.” But the main thing remains the main thing for him – getting back on the court.
“I’m just zeroed in,” he said. “I’m focused.”
