Thanasis Antetokounmpo wants to return from an Achilles tendon injury

Thanasis Antetokounmpo has had a front row seat to many of the Milwaukee Bucks’ victories and many of his younger brother Giannis’ career milestones – and that was no different on November 30, when Giannis posted the first 40-point triple-double of his career when he scored against the Washington Wizards scored 42 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and handed out 11 assists.

Only this time, Thanasis was on the other side of the field, across from the Bucks’ bench, and he was cheering in street clothes rather than a uniform.

It was his fourth game seeing his former team play, and fans were quick to tell him afterward that the Bucks were undefeated in his presence. His appearance on the scoreboard on November 20 caused quite a stir. Videos of his animated reaction to an off-court pass from Gary Trent to Giannis Antetokounmpo for a dunk on Nov. 23 were widely shared on social media platforms.

It was the 32-year-old free agent forward’s first games in the arena since he suffered an Achilles tendon injury during practice shortly after the Bucks’ first-round playoff loss to Indiana on May 2.

“It’s a strange feeling,” he said with his trademark smile. “But it’s still good. It’s a weird, good feeling not being in the locker room with the guys and stuff like that, but I can support the team, support my brother, support my guys in any way I can and try not to be a distraction. Be really positive about it , what they’re trying to do and add to their mojo. That’s all. Expand their mojo.”

Thanasis’ contract expired in the summer and since he is in rehab, he remains without a contract.

Unsigned. Not retired. And certainly not idle.

“After that, I went right back to work,” he said in an interview with the Journal Sentinel. “Immediately. I thought: No, I’m here – let’s go.

“I didn’t miss anything in my rehab. I worked almost every day, six days out of seven. That’s why I’m in this state that I’m in now. Guys, you see me out there, hey man, you look great. I thought, ‘Thanks, I’ve been racking my brain, I’m not going to lie.’ I’m just proud.”

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He said he initially thought he had strained his calf, but immediately after being diagnosed with a ruptured Achilles tendon, he thought what had suddenly been taken away from him – the chance to help Greece to the Olympics.

Antetokounmpo has played for the national team since 2016.

“That was the – I can’t even describe the first hour and then the first two, three days – I can’t even describe… it would be… it was hard,” he said with pauses and, unusually, having to search for words. “You don’t understand. Because I’m thinking about the national team.”

However, he rejected the idea of contemplating his NBA career.

“Free agency was cool, but I’m a great athlete so I’ll definitely come back,” he said. “If I come back in September or December, January or February, it will be fine. I understand. I already know that. This is the fight for the Olympics, a chance to fight with my brothers. There are two jerseys that I like to wear the most and one of them is the national team jersey. It was heartbreaking. It was heartbreaking for me.”

However, he knew he couldn’t stay in this room.

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He underwent surgery as quickly as possible and was with the Greek national team as Giannis and another younger brother, Kostas, helped the country qualify for its first Games since 2008. Thanasis watched as Giannis became the first bearer of the black flag, opening the Olympics. The Greek contingent led the parade of nations down the Seine.

“I’ll tell you one thing about me — and this is a technique that everyone reading this should use — it’s what you think about,” he said. “When you think about negative thoughts a lot, that’s what happens. When you think about positive things, that’s what happens. After I got hurt and thought about it a little bit, it’s gone, it’s out the window.

“There’s nothing you tell me that makes me feel like, ‘Oh, you could play.'” Of course I do could play. But my brother is out there! And I’m happy. And I’m proud. This feeling outweighs the feeling of feeling sorry for myself or having some kind of “I could be out there” feeling.

“Seeing my brother raising his flag in the middle of Paris, in the middle of the river in a boat and Greece coming out as the first country, the feeling after the win, after we qualified and they brought the torch into the dressing room, it is big for us. It’s big. All those injuries and discomfort go right out the window.”

He also didn’t let himself be stopped at his brother’s wedding. Or distance yourself from his other, extrajudicial interests.

He said he had to relearn how to walk properly, but said he continued to surprise people with his relatively quick progress.

“I don’t play by my rules – I play by God’s rules,” he said. “I follow exactly what they tell me and then whenever God tells me I’m ready, I do it, I’m ready. If someone comes tomorrow: ‘Let’s go!’ You’re ready!’ And I’m telling you, if God doesn’t make me feel like I’m ready, then I’m not ready. But vice versa. When God tells me I’m ready, you can’t tell me anything. Nothing. Nothing.”

Now, about seven months after his injury, Thanasis has a timetable in mind for a return, although he is not ready to reveal it publicly just yet. But he said he accomplished everything early in his rehab and is confident he’ll be back in the NBA as soon as possible.

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“Of course, man,” he said.

“Because of everything you do in life and how much you want something, it does play a role. Because you never imagine yourself saying, “Oh my God, this happened to me, I have to do this.” No. You sit down, look up at the sky and say, “OK, God, is this what you want me to do?” Do you want me to sit? I will sit.

“If you give me a head start (beginning), if you give me a chance, if you give me any Realize that I can go out there and give it everything I’ve got – that’s what I’m going to do. It doesn’t matter to look back or look good. It doesn’t matter what I look like. It’s not about statistics. It’s about being on the front line in the truest sense of the word. We come from such material. I come from an industry that is at the forefront. We go to war and we are the ones who go to the front.

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