Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo are spending part of their offseason participating in an unconventional offseason activity.
Giannis — a member of the Milwaukee Bucks commonly known as the Greek Freak — and his brother, Thanasis, who plays for the New York Knicks’ D-League team, reported to mandatory military service in their home country of Greece on Wednesday. The two brothers are supposed to serve a three-month term, but they will likely be released in September so they can report to their teams’ training camps.
Giannis & Thanasis begin Greece Military Service (should only last a few days) https://t.co/wkuSOgcKcO pic.twitter.com/oCLnKrFNQP
— Paul Henning (@brewcitypaul) July 13, 2016
Both brothers grew up in Greece and still make a home there in the offseason. Because they are citizens, they are required to serve in the country’s military.
Though it was common for athletes to serve for their countries during World War II, it’s hard to find recent examples of basketball players serving their country. Former San Antonio Spurs star David Robinson was one of the most recent examples. He served in the U.S. Navy for two years before joining the Spurs in 1989.
It’s interesting to see that Giannis and Thanasis are so loyal to their country and are willing to go into active duty for their country. And though it’s an unconventional way to spend an offseason, it’s definitely commendable.
