The offseason is an opportunity for NBA players to respond to professional and promotional solicitations around the world. While his brother, Giannis, is in China, Thanasis Antetokounmpo was able to combine business with pleasure by visiting Nigeria, the country of his parents, before they migrated to Greece.
The big brother of the “Greek Freak” thus experienced a shock upon his arrival at Lagos airport.
“I’ll be honest with you, it took me three minutes to adjust when I landed at the airport because everyone looks like me. Everyone is like my family and I am happy to be back in Nigeria,” he said before explaining the importance his family had on his life. “My family is my motivation because we are sportsmen. I like basketball. My father played football and my mother did athletics. I didn’t do anything different to get here, the only thing that was different was the opportunity and the talent.
An Inspiration for Nigerian Youth
His first destination was to go to the GreenSprings school in Lekki, not far from the capital.
The organization had planned an exchange during which Thanasis Antetokounmpo was able to give advice to the youngest before moving on to the sporting part. The objective is to promote the practice of basketball while inspiring Nigerian youth. After a shooting exercise, he thus selected the best elements to carry out one-on-one sessions against him, which the young people had to face in attack, but also in defense.
“The most important and difficult thing is not knowing how to play basketball, but once you start playing, you have to know how to be disciplined and ready to make sacrifices”, he added facing the students. “I realize that basketball has given me a platform and the opportunity to do whatever I want in life. I say it all the time, it really changed my life”.
| Thanasis Antetokounmpo | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2015-16 | NYK | 2 | 3 | 75.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 |
| 2019-20 | MIL | 20 | 6 | 50.0 | 0.0 | 41.2 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 2.8 |
| 2020-21 | MIL | 57 | 10 | 48.9 | 24.1 | 51.0 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 2.9 |
| 2021-22 | MIL | 48 | 10 | 54.7 | 14.3 | 63.0 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 3.6 |
| 2022-23 | MIL | 37 | 6 | 43.5 | 0.0 | 50.0 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 1.4 |
| Total | 164 | 8 | 50.7 | 14.5 | 53.7 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 2.7 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots made / Shots attempted; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def= defensive rebound; Tot = Total bounces; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost bullets; Ct: Counters; Points = Points.
