Nickel: Thanasis and Giannis Antetokounmpo greet fans live on Thanalysis podcast, with Stephen A. Smith
Thanasis Antetokounmpo loves his family, the Bucks and Milwaukee.
And on Friday night, the veteran Bucks forward showed that love and loyalty for all of them.
In addition to hosting his famous younger brother Giannis on a live taping of the Thanalysis Podcast, now in its second season, Thanasis also surprised Giannis and the more than 1,000 people in the audience at the Potawatomi Casino with a guest, TV sports personality Stephen A. Smith.
The crowd, knowing full well who Smith is – and what he said about Milwaukee – cheered but mostly booed Smith equally, with fervor, while Giannis quietly asked Thanasis, is that the surprise guest? He seemed surprised as well.
It was a fun night – for the brotherly conversation, for the diverse fan turnout, for the relaxed moment on a rare night off for the Bucks. Fans don't often get this kind of opportunity.
More: Nickel: We're hearing more from Thanasis Antetokounmpo on 'Thanalysis' and that's a good thing
Thanalysis Podcast producer Tony Cartagena said Sunday night that the Giannis episode release date is yet to be determined. Respecting the brothers as original content producers, Cartagena asked that media who attended Thanalysis Live refrain from shooting video from the event or using direct quotes from the podcast; so that won't be here in this story.
Fans can check out the pod for all of that when it's out, but here are some takeaways from the evening:
Stephen A. Smith tried to make nice with Milwaukee, again
Smith has tried to clear his name and set the record straight many times but for some reason it hasn’t stuck yet.
As a reminder, this is exactly what happened in 2021 during the NBA playoffs. Former NFL player Damien Woody asked Smith on TV if he really wanted to travel to Milwaukee, implying he was worried for Smith to have to suffer such an unpopular trip, and Smith responded with a “Hellll, no,” shaking his head no. "Hell, no."
But it was actually "First Take" show host Molly Qerim Rose who said "it's going to be terrible cities." She was referring to Milwaukee, Atlanta, Phoenix and Los Angeles, the teams that were in the conference finals then. Smith predicted that Milwaukee wouldn't advance anyway. He went on to add he was rooting for Atlanta to win (since that would be a better city to be in to cover the 2021 Finals). Of course, Milwaukee and Phoenix ended up being the final teams.
Please! It's still on video:
And this is how Smith's comments have generally been interpreted:
Milwaukee is not a desirable place to visit during the NBA playoffs for national celebrity basketball analysts.
It was great! Phoenix didn't even seem to register this indignity; but we took that personally. Of course, Smith has every right to his opinion, or walk back his inference, which he does in Thanalysis. (And to be fair, even new Bucks players Damian Lillard and Malik Beasley commented on previous Thanalysis podcasts that they think Milwaukee doesn’t have a lot “distractions” - comments that can be interpreted many different ways.)
So it was a credit to Smith to come to Milwaukee and face the negative reaction to his presence and to try to set the record straight (again). That we welcomed him with 7 inches of newly fallen snow and temperatures in the 20s seemed appropriate.
Smith opened up about a couple of personal life experiences that seemed heartfelt and interesting. If you're a fan of his, you'll enjoy it. But equally so, at one point Thanasis had a comeback so good for Smith, let's just hope it makes the final edit.
Smith did say he is always earnest in his efforts to keep learning and growing through his profession. It’s admirable, because it was impossible not to notice that he shared the stage with two players from Greece whose first language was not English.
Remember, Smith also once famously said Japanese-born baseball player Shohei Ohtani can't be the face of baseball because Ohtani prefers to speak to the American media through an interpreter. (Ohtani can speak some English, and he also knows Spanish. Before his interpreter was fired by the Dodgers after allegations of theft, he was the voice for Ohtani).
Anyway, Giannis also once said he was doubtful that he could be the face of the NBA because he didn't want to change too much of his non-American personality.
Thankfully we all know better now. This international NBA game is privileged to have so many global stars and worldwide fans.
The gesture by Thanasis to share his platform with Smith was a nice one; and they do seem to be on friendly terms. Thanasis and Smith are also rumored to be in the works for another podcast, so be on the lookout for that. Same for another famous Wisconsin athlete that Thanasis is trying to keep under wraps, but his brother hinted at the guest, who is Love-d in the state...
Remember, Stephen A. Smith is an entertainer
Smith did offer his advice to the Antetokounmpos on how to perceive the media. Some of it was on-target accurate; some of it was flawed, at least when it comes to news media journalists who must abide by certain ethics and standards (for example, don't root for anyone to win or lose).
Smith doesn't care what anyone thinks of him, which is great, but here's a gentle plea – know that Smith is really an entertainer, paid for his analysis and opinion; that's different from the best attempts to deliver unbiased news.
Good Karma put on a good show
The event was really well done, as expected. Overseeing organizer Craig Karmazin is no stranger to these big events. He and Good Karma Brands created the Wisconsin Sports Awards show that gave us Brandon Jennings and that famous Bucks in Six quote a decade ago, after all. Last Friday, Potawatomi Casino put out a generous spread of food and desserts.
If there is one improvement that could have been made, it would be the sound; sometimes some fans could not hear everything Giannis said.
Family means everything to Antetokounmpos
There's good stuff in the interviews with Giannis even if Bucks fans and longtime fans and followers of the Antetokounmpo family know pretty much all there is to their story, given the documentaries and the book that's been out in recent years. Family is foundational to the Antetokounmpos. Thanasis has been with the Bucks since 2019; younger brother Alex played with the G League affiliate Oshkosh Herd last year.
In the Thanalysis podcast, Giannis reiterates this point with another story about his shoe contracts and deals – and what he turned down, and what he accepted – because of the family bond he holds dear.
There also were some VIP guests
Teammates Bobby Portis (who had one hilarious answer), Brook Lopez and MarJon Beauchamp showed up to support the Antetokounmpo brothers. But if the audience in attendance was confused – since it sounded like Smith mentioned that Patrick Beverley was also there – it wasn't him in the VIP seating. It was actually Giannis and Thanasis' friend Kenneth Lock II, a Milwaukee barber and pastor.
A diverse crowd attends the event
For a guy like Thanasis, who really does love Milwaukee and often seeks to unify people wherever he is, the crowd turnout alone was special. Diverse in so many ages and racial backgrounds. Was it maybe something we haven’t seen since July 22, 2021, Game 6 of the NBA Finals, when fans crammed the Deer District in anticipation of winning the championship? It was really cool because it was a gathering for the respect for Giannis and Thanasis, and what they've done for Milwaukee, and in some ways, for the city's reputation.
"I like the startup in Milwaukee with the podcast and just kind of getting the word out there with Giannis and Thanasis,” said longtime Bucks fan Lidia Peña. “They're a real good vibe that I like for the city, bringing family and that energy and the way you work your life. It's just inspiring.
"It's cool that they have their podcast and are engaging with the City of Milwaukee. I'm pretty sure they do a lot with their restaurant, with the shop and the games, but it's still really nice to see them talk to the fans."
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Thanasis and Giannis Antetokounmpo greeted fans on live podcast
