Thannasis Antetokounmpo Willpo will return the NBA during the 2025-26 season.
For years, Giannis Antetokounmpo was a cornerstone superstar for the Milwaukee Bucks, and even led him to the 2021 NBA Championship.
Giannis had some great teammates around him, but the presence of his older brother, Thanasis Antetocomo, is probably important from a spiritual standpoint.
After a year’s absence from the NBA, Tanasis recently signed a one-year $2.9 million contract ahead of the 2025-26 season.
Thanasis had no NBA contract, but was among the leading players in Greece in the 2025 Eurobasket.
Speaking of tournaments, Greece launched a campaign against Italy, leading the way after a 75-66 victory. Thanasis contributed six points and three rebounds in just 14 minutes of playtime.
Antetokounmpo explained his performance and the importance of Italy as he will soon return to the NBA.
“They were with Italy in the first game. They were excited that I was running, defending, basically doing my job. That’s my role,” Tanasis said via BasketNews.
He added: “The important thing for those who play again with the team is that you have to prove things again, whether it’s good or bad, that’s basketball.
“Everything you’ve done so far is your resume. I’m not saying it won’t count, but you have to enrich it every day.”
Thanasis is not on the same level as Giannis, but he plays the role given to him on a particular night. The 33-year-old believes that is the biggest reason behind the Bucks’ decision to bring him back.
So far, Tanasis has spent five seasons with the Bucks, averaging 2.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.6 assists per game.
His numbers don’t jump from the box score, but the Bucks certainly missed him during the 2024-25 season as a locker room presence.
But what was the reason behind his absence? Well, the previous second round pick suffered a horrible Achilles tendon injury in May 2024.
The injury kept him on the sidelines throughout last season. However, it seems that Thanasis has recovered steadily from that set-up ahead of the sixth year Bucks.