Dame stood up for the elder brother of Giannis Antetokounmpo.

This season, more than any other, Milwaukee Bucks forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo has been active on social media. The older brother of NBA player Giannis Antetokounmpo has been the target of persistent trolling from some fans and media members for a variety of puzzling plays that he makes when he plays. As recently as mid-February, he even found himself in the #1 slot on Shaquille O’Neal’s Shaqtin’ a Fool, a feature on TNT’s Inside the NBA that showcases some of the most viral plays.

However, Damian Lillard, Milwaukee’s other star and an offseason addition, sees the 31-year-old forward as far from a laughingstock. In a recent interview, Lillard discussed Thanasis with West Wilson of Complex and had nothing but the best things to say about his teammate.

The thing about TA is this. People often attempt to be humorous, but I’m willing to wager that many of the Twitter users wouldn’t be able to defeat him in a one-on-one match. stated Lillard.

Such as… defensively. He is large, powerful, athletic, and fiercely competitive.

It is inconsiderate. I see a lot of material about TA on social media; there are individuals who believe they are more gifted or capable than he is, but they will never be able to replace him. You won’t find a guy who works hard and is more concerned about the team.

Lillard went on to say that he was having a “hard time” finding someone to replace the intensity and effort that Giannis’ younger brother gives to the squad.

Despite joining the Bucks in 2019–20, the elder Antetokounmpo has never played more than 9.9 minutes per game on average. That peak was reached in 2021–2022 when he averaged 2.1 rebounds and 3.6 points per game on a 54.7% shooting performance from the field.