NBA superstars have a large amount of power over the organizations they play for. Without them, some playoff contenders might immediately turn into playoff “pretenders.”
The Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of them. And with rumors of his potential departure from the team still circulating, he can significantly alter the franchise’s trajectory simply by deciding to either stay or go.
A transaction the Bucks recently made hints that Antetokounmpo may opt for the former — and demonstrates the hold he has on the team.
Antetokounmpo’s ex-teammate believes his role with the Bucks is almost like that of a part-owner
The Bucks announced on Sunday that they had signed Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s older brother, to a one-year, $2.9 million contract. While the elder Antetokounmpo was not the most productive in his most recent action with the team, averaging just 0.9 points per game in 2023-24 before missing all of last season due to a torn Achilles tendon, he will serve as an anchor that will keep his younger brother in Milwaukee for the foreseeable future.
Jeff Teague, one of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s former Bucks teammates, praised Milwaukee’s decision to sign Thanasis Antetokounmpo on an episode of the “Club 520 Podcast.”
“He can hoop, though. I ain’t going to never say he can’t hoop,” Teague said. “Like, he deserves it. I mean, he could play in the NBA. Obviously, you see his highlights.”
Brian Henry, one of the podcasts’ two other hosts, went on to say that the move makes it seem as if “Giannis owns the Bucks.” Teague agreed, to an extent.
“For sure, [he’s a] part-owner,” Teague said.
Teague also jokingly suggested that Giannis Antetokounmpo, seemingly with a position of power within the Bucks organization, should consider bringing him back onto the team.
“It seems like they’re trying to get the band back together,” Teague said. “[I] might pull up my highlight tape. Y’all want to run the championship back? Let me know.”
The acquisition of Thanasis Antetokounmpo will surely be seen as a positive sign for the Milwaukee-based franchise, which finished fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 48-34 record last year but suffered a first-round playoff exit for the third season in a row.
