Thanasis Antetokounmpo bids farewell to the NBA and returns to Greece to join Aris.

September 2nd - Free agent forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo will return to Greece to play in the 2026-27 season. According to an official announcement from Aris Basketball Club, the two sides have finalized the contract. The contract is for two years, with a team option for a third year.

Thanasis is the older brother of two-time NBA regular season MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo . He played alongside Giannis for six of the past seven seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks. He missed the entire 2024-25 season due to a torn Achilles tendon before returning to the Bucks. Between 2019 and 2026 , he played 230 regular season games for the Bucks , averaging 7.2 minutes, 2.3 points, and 1.5 rebounds per game.

For Athens-born Thanasis, this will be his third stint in the Greek league. He previously played for Firastikos from 2011 to 2013 and Panathinaikos from 2017 to 2019 .

The 34- year-old Thanasis won the Greek domestic league title twice with Panathinaikos in 2018 and 2019 , and won the NBA championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021. In addition, he has represented the Greek national team multiple times, participating in tournaments such as the EuroBasket and the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Last season , Aris achieved a 14-10 record in the Greek Basketball League and an 8-10 record in the EuroLeague . This summer, the team actively strengthened its roster, signing the Thanasis and Kostas brothers, and also bringing in several players with NBA experience, including Kem Birch , Jeremiah Robinson - Earl , and EJ Lidl.

Image source: Internet