Giannis Antetokounmpo has ascended to All-NBA heights and his older brother, Thanasis, has spent time in the NBA as well. Now, the family will have another member pursuing a professional career, as the Dayton Flyers announced on Thursday that younger brother Kostas Antetokounmpo “will pursue professional basketball and not return to the University of Dayton.”
At this point, it has been reported (via ESPN) that Antetokounmpo is simply “testing the waters” when it comes to his NBA Draft declaration but, given the official release, it appears the other option for the 20 year old would be a pursuit of a professional career elsewhere. In 29 games as a redshirt freshman this season, Antetokounmpo averaged 15.1 minutes, 5.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.
Despite the modest numbers, the 6’10 power forward has big-time athletic potential and, by virtue of name recognition alone, there will be plenty of attention paid to his next basketball step. Though he is listed at 6’10, Antetokounmpo checks in at a listed weight south of 200 pounds. It’s safe to assume that more development, both athletically and skill-based, will be needed in order to facilitate a path to high-level professional basketball.
The ultimate decision as to whether Kostas Antetokounmpo will be in the 2018 NBA Draft remains a mystery. Still, the world of professional hoops will have yet another Antetokounmpo brother somewhere next season.
