Thanasis responds to being a target of Barkley’s critics for years.
Naturally, people mention Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brothers, who all have been given a chance to play in the league after The Greek Freak’s rise to superstardom. Thanasis Antetokounmpo, in particular, gets the most flak, with Charles Barkley being one of his loudest critics. However, the Milwaukee Bucks forward doesn’t care about it.
“That’s a compliment because that means I’m a good person. Nobody gives you nothing if they don’t like you first of all. You gotta bring something to the table,” Thanasis said on The Bootleg Kev Podcast. “I actually like Charles Barkley and Shaq. They just have fun and joke. The thing is, some kids believe that.”
Thanasis’ NBA run
He might not be as good as Giannis, but Thanasis worked hard to be part of the NBA. He played in Greece and the NBA D-League before earning a spot on the New York Knicks in 2016. However, the forward wasn’t a target of people’s criticism until he joined his brother in Milwaukee three years later.
Thanasis can obviously play basketball at a high level, but more than his impact on the court, the 31-year-old is there for his positive locker-room presence. The older Antetokounmpo understands his position, and so does everyone else, but Chuck keeps mocking him for it.
“The lesson was, he sat there and I didn’t talk trash or anything. I said, ‘You want to come to the NBA, and I’m not even the best brother, you have to go through him, go through him,'” Thanasis added.
It’s not only the Antetokounmpos
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski made a great point about how nepotism is common in the NBA. He argued that people like Bronny and Thanasis do not deserve that backlash—NBA players are not the only people who benefit from having family members in certain positions.
“The NBA is full of nepotism—at the ownership level, front offices, and absolutely in coaching. I don’t want to hear it all of a sudden because Bronny James’ father plays for the Lakers. It is rampant in this league,” Woj said on an ESPN segment.
It’s still up to Bronny and Thanasis to make the most of their opportunity to play in the NBA. If they can do it—especially James Jr.—all the talk about how they got to the league will become irrelevant.
