Antetokounmpo Brothers Become Second Ever Brother Trio to Appear in an NBA Game

History was made in the early hours of Thursday as the “Greek Freak” from Nigeria, Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brothers Thannassis and Kostas appeared in the same game in what’s the second ever in the NBA.

The Antetokounmpo brothers join Jrue, Justin, and Aaron Holiday who featured in a game between the Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks in 2019.

The Antetokounmpo brothers appeared as Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Los Angeles Lakers 112-97. Giannis, who has won the NBA Player of the Season for two years now had 25 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists in the game.

Giannis described the moment he appeared with his brothers as his favourite in the NBA after eight seasons. He said he’s also delighted with the knowledge that his mother will record the moment on tape.

“Just being on the same court while our mom is having her phone and videotaping the whole thing. I think it’s priceless,” Giannis said postgame.

The three brothers also donned sneakers from Giannis’ sneaker line with Nike.

The Antetokounmpo brothers, originally “Adetokunbo” had their names changed after Giannis’ name was wrongly spelt on his Greek passport.

Their parents, from Nigeria, of Yoruba and Igbo descent were immigrants in Greece and struggled with securing the country’s passports for many years.

Thannassis is Giannis’ elder brother while Kostas is his younger brother.

Author

  • Olayide Oluwafunmilayo Soaga is a Nigerian journalist with four years of professional experience. She reports on health, gender, education and development, with a focus on impact-driven storytelling.

    She was runner-up for the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) Best Solutions Journalism Award in West Africa in 2024 and a finalist for the 2025 West Africa Media Excellence Awards.

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