Bucks’ Thanasis Antetokounmpo reveals he nearly joined a different team
By Dalton Sell
The Milwaukee Bucks re-signed Thanasis Antetokounmpo to a new one-year contract earlier in 2023 NBA Free Agency.
Fans believed it was an open and shut case in the sense that Antetokounmpo would be back with the Bucks for his fifth season, but that was nearly not the case. In an interview with Basket News’ Donatas Urbonas, Thanasis revealed that he was “close” to signing with the New York Knicks, the team that drafted him in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft.
That undoubtedly would have been an interesting turn of events for everyone involved.
Bucks’ Thanasis Antetokounmpo reveals he nearly joined a different team
In the interview, Thanasis said that he loves playing with Giannis Antetokounmpo and loves the Milwaukee fanbase, but he also wanted to play and feel important. A talk with Adrian Griffin, the new coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, helped sway Antetokounmpo’s decision. Griffin revealed that he appreciates and values the way Thanasis plays. The choice was then clear for the veteran.
Many teams have been trying to pry Thanasis away from the Bucks yearly for quite some time in an attempt to get on Giannis’ good side. The two are incredibly close, and it’s not a secret just how much they enjoy playing together. With the NBA world now in a frenzy after Giannis said he won’t sign an extension this summer, teams will try even harder to get him moving forward.
Yet, Thanasis will be a Milwaukee Buck for at least one more season.
It’ll be interesting to see if Thanasis does indeed see more time for the Bucks this coming year. Primarily, he’s been a sideline spark, constantly hyping up other players, mainly his brother. Yet, when he has played, Thanasis often provided some energy in the form of a highlight dunk or nice defensive play on the other end. At times, he can help.
Perhaps Coach Griffin values the type of energy a player like Thanasis can bring off of the bench. This will be a very interesting year for the recently turned 31-year-old.
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