Thanasis Antetokounmpo, currently with the Milwaukee Bucks, opened up about his unexpected selection by the New York Knicks in the 2014 NBA Draft. In a detailed interview, he said, via HoopsHype, “I don’t know why they drafted me because when I was sitting down they were asking me about players and they kept saying… because it was two sides.”
He recalled the split in decision-making during his draft process. “It was two sides of the Knicks. It was the Knicks, the New York Knicks, Allan Houston, and everybody else that was like in the organization, and then it was the other side of the Lakers when Phil Jackson came.” Thanasis described being asked personal questions alongside basketball-specific inquiries about players such as Dennis Rodman and Trevor Ariza.
The forward reflected on the strategy behind these questions. “They were comparing me. They were trying to get me to say like, hey, because if I had said I don’t really see myself like them, they’re not my style, I don’t think I get drafted to the Knicks, because I love those players.”
Thanasis, who played sparingly during his Knicks tenure, appeared in only two games in the 2015–16 season, averaging 3 points in 3 minutes per game. After stints overseas and in the G League, he joined the Milwaukee Bucks, where he became a rotational player and contributed to team depth over multiple seasons. His career highlights include a 3.6 points per game average in the 2021–22 season and 2.3 points per game across 227 NBA appearances.
Currently 33 years old, Thanasis is playing a limited role with Milwaukee, appearing in 29 games this season with 1.2 points per contest in 3.5 minutes per game.
Reflecting on his draft day emotions, Thanasis described it as one of the happiest moments in his life. “I was very, very worried. You know, when Giannis got drafted, I was like, ‘Wow, I got to make it. I got to do something for my family. I got to make sure we’re good.’”
