Family is important to Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has always expressed how important they are to him. His former colleague Jeff Teague, who clarified the relationship between the Milwaukee Bucks star and his brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo, who also plays for the Bucks, added more evidence to the pudding.

On ‘The Draymond Green Show’ podcast, the guard talked to Draymond Green about an incident that happened in 2021 involving the Antetokounmpo brothers that left Giannis shaken.

“Covid was present in [Thanasis Antetokounmpo]. He was so unable to board the aircraft. That’s why we lost 0–2. Like him and his brother, Giannis was broken. They made a different kind of bond. If he doesn’t see him, he cannot function.

During the NBA Finals, Teague claimed that Thanasis was declared out due to a COVID-19 virus, and that Giannis was greatly impacted by his absence. However, the Bucks ultimately prevailed, defeating the Suns 4-2. This resulted in Teague, his brother, and Giannis Antetokounmpo winning their first NBA championship.

Teague’s final season in the league was 2021. He played in 21 regular season games for Milwaukee in his final season, averaging 15.9 minutes, 6.6 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.5 rebounds.

The guard, an NBA journeyman, was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2009 NBA Draft. He later played for the Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Hawks again. Before joining the Bucks, he was a player for the Boston Celtics.

Giannis Antetokounmpo honored his brother Thanasis with a unique pair of sneakers for the All-Stars.

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During All-Star Weekend in the previous season, Giannis Antetokounmpo had a special message for his brother Thanasis. The two-time MVP was wearing red and white Kobe 4s with the inspirational words, “Thanks for sharing, Thanasis.”

In addition, the statement acts as a reminder of Giannis and his brothers’ journey from poverty to wealth. The Antetokounmpo family was so poor when they were kids that neither of them could buy a pair of shoes for the other. Giannis, Thanasis’ younger brother, was allowed to wear his red and white Kobe 4s.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks qualified for the playoffs during the regular season, however they were defeated by the Indiana Pacers in the first round. For his part, Thanasis Antetokounmpo played 34 games for the Bucks last season, averaging 4.6 minutes per game and shooting 53% overall before suffering a ruptured Achilles injury.