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NBA DRAFTJune 26, 2014Thanasis AntetokounmpoGiannis AntetokounmpoBROOKLYN, NEW YORK THANASIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: I mean, it's an amazing feeling for me. I mean, everybody who knows me knows the feeling I have right now, the feeling of all this work I've put in and all this work I'm going to put in and know just like with all my heart and soul. So it's an amazing feeling being here, and these people like trust me and drafted me so I can be here. So everything starts over again. So I'll just start by earning a spot on the roster and trying to do my best. Q. The New York Knicks are going through a transition period right now. It's an audition process for even the incumbents in that organization. So talk about how you're ready to use your athleticism and your diverse game to be able to hopefully be in the rotation next season. THANASIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: I'm going to do whatever‑‑ I'm going to do everything, whatever the coach tells me to. You'll probably laugh, but I'll do whatever the coach tells me to, from play 40 minutes to waving the towel to taking the last shot. I'll do whatever Coach wants me to in order to win. I would like to say something: For those who don't know, last year we were in the same place, like the same day. I was just sitting on the left, and he (Giannis Antetokounmpo) was sitting on the right. He got drafted by the Bucks last year, my brother. And being here and all the blessings I've received today from God and from my family, I really want to say thank you to the Knicks for drafting me and putting faith in me to do the best. Q. This question is for both of you: Being here in the same place, you were here last year with your brother when he got drafted. Compare and contrast the feeling from last year, and, Giannis, if you can do the same thing from getting drafted last year and now being here with your brother. THANASIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: It's an amazing feeling. It's almost the same feeling because everything starts this is the day. We enjoy this day, and we have blessing, and we know that tomorrow's another day. Everything start from the beginning. To make things happen. GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: I'm really happy for Thanasis. I'm really proud of him. I'm more happier this day more than last year in the draft for myself. So I'm really excited for Thanasis to go to the New York Knicks. Hopefully, he does well, and he prove himself. I'm sure he's going to try his best. Q. I don't know if you're aware of this, but Astoria, New York, has the largest Greek‑American community in the United States. THANASIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: Today on my way to New York, I had like so many messages from people that are Greeks, they told me, if you're coming to New York. We're going to try to come see you. If you can, try to stay just to see people and take me to different places. I'm just thinking about the Summer League and the first time I step on the court to practice. Q. Giannis, what would it mean for both of you guys to be in the NBA, if Thanasis can make the Knicks roster? And just this achievement even tonight, what does it mean to you? GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: First of all, I'll just say hi, Charlie. For us as kids, it was our dream to be in the NBA. I make it last year. He make it this year. Hopefully, our other brother will follow our footsteps and make it too. For us and for our family, today, everybody, all of our family was here, and we're really happy and excited to see Thanasis in the NBA too. THANASIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: I would like to say thank you to everybody in the NBA Development League, the D‑League. It helps. People don't know it, but it helps a lot of players play, and I think we're going to see more from the D‑League. I would like to thank‑‑ I love my parents to death and everybody in my family for supporting me till now and all my coaches and everybody in Delaware and back in Greece and everybody. Q. What do you know about Phil Jackson, and how excited are you to meet him and work with him? THANASIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: The first thing I know is he's the Zen Master. First thing I know, he's been everything, done everything now, and he's seen everything. He's the coach who coached Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant. Like the best of the best. Q. What you've seen with the draft tonight and with the trade he made yesterday, is this kind of an exciting, refreshing organization you think you might be coming into? THANASIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: Of course it's something new, and my heart is aching from happiness, I can't even talk. Q. Giannis, how excited are you at the prospect of playing with Jabari Parker? GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: I'm really excited. He's a great player. He's a really good kid. We talked a little bit after his workout with the Bucks, and I'm really excited. He could take our team to the next level, and I'm really excited to play with him. Q. Thanasis, do you think the Greek community is going to adopt you, and by extension, the Knicks? THANASIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: Can you repeat that? Q. Meaning like root for the Knicks more than ever with you on the team. THANASIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: I don't really know, but I hope they do because we need it. We, as Greeks, we have to support every Greek in every part of the world. Q. What are your thoughts on Derek Fisher as the head coach of the New York Knicks? And how aware are you of the Knicks fan base? It's a very passionate fan base. I can probably assure you that you're trending on Twitter right now. THANASIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: I mean, I'm just‑‑ I don't really have anything to say on that. I'm just going to play, try to do my best for the coach. Q. Giannis, can you talk a little bit about your journey, the adjustments that you had to make coming from Greece, playing in the NBA, and what you've learned and what kind of advice you have now for your brother who will now make the same journey? GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: It was really hard for me because I came from Greece when I was 18. So going to another country as 18‑year‑old kid is really hard to learn the culture. Living alone was really hard. With all that, I got to adjust to my game. So adjusting in the NBA at the beginning was hard, but thank God I got some good veterans. Caron Butler, Zaza Pachulia, O.J. Mayo, and a lot of other players that helped me a lot. Thank God I was on that team. That's what I tell my brother, just to go and train hard every day and try to learn something every day. And in the day when the practice ends, when you leave the practice, just ask yourself, what did I learn today? And that's going to take it to the next level. Q. You probably know his game better than most of us anyway. What are the gifts that you think that he has that will make him an effective NBA player? GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: The first thing that Thanasis do every day and every night that he step on the floor, like I'm amazed that he always play hard. I'm amazed. I never see that in any player. Any time he step on the floor, he always give hard. He give 100 percent. Even he's tired, even he's hurt, he's going to play. He's a really good player. He's working on his shot, his midrange shot, I know that. He's a really good kid. Going to listen to the coach, respect his teammates, and be a good teammate. He's going to put the team first before himself. Q. Thanasis, I know Giannis just talked about what your strengths are, but what do you think you can bring to the Knicks in your skill sets for those people who may not know that much about your game? THANASIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: I mean, everybody‑‑ like most of the coaches say it's‑‑ I mean, I'm an athletic player. I'm a versatile player. I'm a good defender and stuff. But I think the best thing that I can bring to the Knicks is good character, reliable person, trustworthy. You can depend on me to finish tasks. Bring heart, passion to the game, courage to the game, and just bring wins. That's it. That's the only thing I think about. Q. So Greece makes it to the knockout round and then you get drafted by the Knicks. Pretty good week, huh? THANASIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: You can't imagine. You can't imagine. I was screaming when I saw that. Q. At what age did you start playing basketball? THANASIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: I was 15, 15 1/2. GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: I was 15. Q. I have to ask you because I got a chance to look at it up close, and a lot of people are commenting on the internet. What is your bowtie? What is it made of? THANASIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: It's wood. Q. It's wooden? THANASIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: Yeah, it's wood. Q. What does that bring to the table? GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: Style. THANASIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: Nothing. I just want to do something different. My mom was there. Mostly for my mom because she hasn't seen me in a long time. I just want to have a little bit of a good smile. It's a special day for my mom to see me and my dad and my family. Q. Thanasis, so who do you think would win in a game of one‑on‑one, you or your brother? THANASIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: They have asked me this question a million times. GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: Next. I'm joking. No, I can comment on that. Whoever play harder and whoever play defense because we are‑‑ I think Thanasis can score any time on me, I can score any time on him. Whoever play hardest plays defense. THANASIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: That one‑on‑one notion is never going to end, like never. Q. Before playing basketball, did you play any other sports? THANASIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: I remember, when we were like fifth grade or sixth grade, me and my brothers, we were in everything, soccer, volleyball, track, and like we used to really do sports, except basketball. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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