Career Timeline of Giannis Antetokounmpo: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Giannis Antetokounmpo, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, nicknamed the "Greek Freak," is a Nigerian-Greek professional basketball player renowned for his exceptional athleticism and versatility. Playing for the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA, he is considered one of the greatest power forwards and players in basketball history. His unique combination of size, speed, and strength has made him a dominant force on the court. He is a significant figure in modern basketball.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

2001: Bucks advance to second round of playoffs

In 2001, Giannis helped the Bucks advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time.

2006: Matching Longest Streak by a Bucks Player

In 2006, Michael Redd had the longest streak of at least 20 points in 14 consecutive games, matching Giannis' streak against the New York Knicks.

2007: Started Playing Basketball

In 2007, Giannis Antetokounmpo started playing basketball.

2011: Played for Filathlitikos Senior Team

During the 2011–12 season, Antetokounmpo played with the senior men's team of Filathlitikos in the semi-pro Greek B Basket League (Third Division).

December 2012: Signed Deal with CAI Zaragoza

In December 2012, a few days after turning 18, Antetokounmpo signed a four-year deal with Spanish club CAI Zaragoza, reportedly including NBA buyouts after each season.

2012: Played in Greek A2 League

During the 2012–13 Greek A2 League season, Antetokounmpo played and averaged 22.5 minutes per game.

April 28, 2013: Declared Eligible for NBA Draft

On April 28, 2013, Antetokounmpo officially made himself eligible for the 2013 NBA draft.

July 2013: Represented Greece at 2013 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship

In July 2013, Giannis Antetokounmpo represented Greece for the first time with the Greek Under-20 national team at the 2013 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship. He helped Greece to an 8–2 record and a fifth-place overall finish.

July 30, 2013: Signed Rookie Contract with Bucks

On July 30, 2013, Antetokounmpo signed his rookie scale contract with the Milwaukee Bucks.

October 13, 2013: NBA Debut

On October 13, 2013, Antetokounmpo made his NBA debut for the Milwaukee Bucks at the age of 18 years, 311 days.

2013: NBA Draft Selection

In 2013, Antetokounmpo entered the NBA draft and was selected 15th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks.

2013: Special Participant in Greek League All-Star Game

In 2013, Antetokounmpo was selected as a special participant in the Greek League All-Star Game, even though he was not officially selected as an all-star.

2014: Played with the senior men's Greek national team

From 2014, Giannis Antetokounmpo played with the senior men's Greek national team.

2014: Played for the senior men's Greek national basketball team

In 2014, Giannis Antetokounmpo played for the senior men's Greek national basketball team for the first time, helping Greece finish ninth overall in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup with a 5–1 record.

2014: Thanasis Drafted by New York Knicks

In 2014, Thanasis was drafted by the New York Knicks with the 51st overall pick.

February 6, 2015: Career-High 27 Points and 15 Rebounds

On February 6, 2015, Antetokounmpo recorded a then career-high 27 points and 15 rebounds in a loss to the Houston Rockets.

2015: Scoring Average Increased

During the 2015–16 season, Antetokounmpo's scoring average increased to almost 17 points per game, indicating further individual development.

2015: Joined the Greek national team for EuroBasket 2015

In 2015, Giannis Antetokounmpo joined the Greek national team for EuroBasket 2015. Greece reached the quarter-finals, where they lost to Spain, and eventually finished fifth with a 7–1 record.

February 22, 2016: First Career Triple-Double

On February 22, 2016, Antetokounmpo recorded his first career triple-double with 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in a win against the Los Angeles Lakers, becoming the youngest Buck to achieve this at 21 years old.

September 19, 2016: Signed $100 Million Contract Extension

On September 19, 2016, Antetokounmpo agreed to a four-year, $100 million contract extension with the Milwaukee Bucks.

2016: Established himself as one of the league's most devastating slashers and transition scorers

By the 2016–17 season, Giannis Antetokounmpo had established himself as one of the league's most devastating slashers and transition scorers, known for his rare combination of size and speed.

2016: Played at the 2016 Turin FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament

In 2016, Giannis Antetokounmpo played with Greece at the 2016 Turin FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where he averaged 15.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.7 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game.

2016: Thanasis plays for Andorra

In 2016, Thanasis played for Andorra during the 2016-17 season.

2016: Led Bucks in Five Major Statistical Categories

In 2016–17, Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks in all five major statistical categories.

April 3, 2017: Eastern Conference Player of the Month

On April 3, 2017, Antetokounmpo was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for games played in March, the first such award for a Buck since January 2004.

April 15, 2017: Playoff Career-High 28 Points

On April 15, 2017, Antetokounmpo scored a then playoff career-high 28 points in a 97–83 win over the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

2017: Established himself as one of the league's most devastating slashers and transition scorers

By the 2016–17 season, Giannis Antetokounmpo had established himself as one of the league's most devastating slashers and transition scorers, known for his rare combination of size and speed.

2017: Most Improved Player Award

In 2017, Antetokounmpo received the NBA Most Improved Player award.

2017: Began Season with High Scoring Games

In the 2017–18 season, Antetokounmpo began strongly, scoring 175 points over the first five games. He earned his second straight All-Star nomination and All-NBA selection.

2018: Orchestrated the team's offense

During the 2018–19 season, Giannis Antetokounmpo was responsible (through assisting and personally scoring) for 57.8% of the points the Bucks scored while he was on the floor.

2018: Kostas Drafted into the NBA

In 2018, Kostas Antetokounmpo was selected with the last pick in the NBA draft after playing college basketball for Dayton.

2018: NBA in defensive rating

In 2018–19, with Antetokounmpo's defensive role, the Bucks led the NBA in defensive rating.

2018: Bucks Began a Period of Sustained Team Success

Starting from the 2018–19 season, Antetokounmpo and the Bucks achieved a period of sustained team success.

July 16, 2019: Thanasis Signed with the Milwaukee Bucks

On July 16, 2019, Thanasis Antetokounmpo signed with the Milwaukee Bucks after playing for Andorra and Panathinaikos.

October 24, 2019: Triple-Double in Season Opener

On October 24, 2019, Giannis Antetokounmpo started the 2019–20 season with a triple-double, achieving 30 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 117–111 victory over the Houston Rockets.

2019: Orchestrated the team's offense

During the 2019–20 season, Giannis Antetokounmpo was responsible (through assisting and personally scoring) for 57.8% of the points the Bucks scored while he was on the floor.

2019: First All-Star Captain Selection

In 2019, Antetokounmpo was selected as an All-Star captain, leading the Eastern Conference in voting.

2019: NBA Most Valuable Player Award

In 2019, Antetokounmpo won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award.

2019: Played in FIBA Basketball World Cup

In 2019, Giannis Antetokounmpo represented Greece at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, becoming the first reigning NBA MVP to play in a World Cup.

2019: NBA in defensive rating

In 2019–20, with Antetokounmpo's defensive role, the Bucks led the NBA in defensive rating.

March 13, 2020: Pledge to Fiserv Forum Staff

On March 13, 2020, Giannis Antetokounmpo and his family pledged to give $100,000 to the staff of the Fiserv Forum who were unable to work during the suspension of the 2019-20 NBA season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

December 15, 2020: Re-signs with the Bucks

On December 15, 2020, Giannis Antetokounmpo re-signed with the Bucks on a 5-year, $228 million extension, making it the largest deal in league history.

2020: Second All-Star Captain Selection

In 2020, Antetokounmpo was selected as an All-Star captain for the second time, again leading the Eastern Conference in voting.

2020: Second Consecutive NBA MVP and Defensive Player of the Year

In 2020, Antetokounmpo won his second consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player Award and was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

2020: Kostas Wins NBA Championship

In 2020, Giannis' younger brother, Kostas, won the NBA Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers.

October 19, 2021: NBA Championship Ring and Season-Opening Win

On October 19, 2021, Giannis Antetokounmpo received his first NBA championship ring in a pre-game ceremony and then recorded 32 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists in a 127–104 season-opening victory over the Nets.

2021: NBA Championship and Finals MVP

In 2021, Antetokounmpo led the Milwaukee Bucks to their first NBA championship since 1971 and was named Finals MVP.

2021: Kostas Signed with ASVEL Basket

In 2021, Kostas signed with ASVEL Basket, part of the French Betclic Élite and the EuroLeague.

January 13, 2022: Multiple 30-Point Triple-Doubles

On January 13, 2022, Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to a 118–99 win over the Golden State Warriors with 30 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, and 3 blocks in less than thirty minutes. He became the first player to record multiple 30-point triple-doubles in 30 minutes and tied Michael Jordan's career mark of 28 triple-doubles.

February 8, 2022: 44 points against the Lakers

On February 8, 2022, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 44 points with 14 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 blocks against the Lakers in a 131–116 win.

August 2022: Worked with Calamos Advisors on an exchange-traded fund

In August 2022, Calamos Advisors announced that they would work with Giannis Antetokounmpo on an exchange-traded fund that invests in sustainable firms that would be called the Calamos Antetokounmpo Sustainable Equities Fund.

August 2022: Rejoined the Greek national team

In August 2022, Giannis Antetokounmpo rejoined the Greek national team.

August 25, 2022: Scored a national team career-high 40 points

On August 25, 2022, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a national team career-high 40 points, along with 8 rebounds and 5 assists, in a 94–100 overtime loss to Serbia in the 2023 World Cup qualifiers.

September 2022: Joined as an executive producer for National Geographic's documentary "The Flagmakers"

In September 2022, Giannis Antetokounmpo joined as an executive producer for National Geographic's documentary "The Flagmakers", which focuses on the large population of immigrant employees working at an American flag factory.

2022: Franchise Career Free Throws Leader

In 2022, Giannis Antetokounmpo became the franchise career free throws leader. On October 22, in the second game of the 2022–23 season, Antetokounmpo recorded 44 points and 12 rebounds.

2022: Played in the EuroBasket 2022 with Greece

In 2022, Giannis Antetokounmpo played in the EuroBasket 2022 with Greece. He averaged 29.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.8 blocks per game.

January 3, 2023: Career-High 55 Points

On January 3, 2023, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a then career-high 55 points, along with 10 rebounds and seven assists, in a 123–113 win over the Washington Wizards.

September 2023: Executive Producer of Reality TV Show

In September 2023, Giannis signed on as an Executive Producer of a reality TV show created by Candy Funhouse and the producers of Big Brother, Fly on the Wall.

October 23, 2023: Signed three-year extension with the Bucks

On October 23, 2023, Giannis Antetokounmpo signed a three-year, $186 million contract extension with the Milwaukee Bucks.

2023: Third All-Star Captain Selection

In 2023, Antetokounmpo was selected as an All-Star captain for the third time, leading the Eastern Conference in voting.

2023: Played in the 2023 World Cup qualifiers

In 2023, Giannis Antetokounmpo played for Greece in the 2023 World Cup qualifiers.

January 24, 2024: Recorded his 42nd career triple-double

On January 24, 2024, Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded his 42nd career triple-double with 35 points, 18 rebounds, 10 assists and 2 blocks in a 126–116 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

November 13, 2024: Recorded 59 points in win over the Detroit Pistons

On November 13, 2024, Giannis Antetokounmpo recorded 59 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists in a 127–120 overtime win over the Detroit Pistons.

2024: Carried the Greek flag at the Opening Ceremonies

At the 2024 Summer Olympics, Giannis Antetokounmpo carried the Greek flag at the Opening Ceremonies. He averaged a tournament high 25.8 points along with 6.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists in 4 games played, while shooting 67.8% from the field.

2024: NBA Cup Win

In 2024, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to win the 2nd edition of the NBA Cup, where he was named NBA Cup MVP.

2024: Fourth All-Star Captain Selection

In 2024, Antetokounmpo was selected as an All-Star captain for the fourth time, leading the Eastern Conference in voting.

2024: Played with the senior men's Greek national team

Until 2024, Giannis Antetokounmpo played with the senior men's Greek national team in major FIBA tournaments.

January 2, 2025: Longest streak in NBA history

On January 2, 2025, Giannis Antetokounmpo put up 27 points on 12-of-24 shooting from the field, 13 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in a 113–110 loss to the Brooklyn Nets. It was his 26th straight game with at least 20 points scored on 50% or better shooting from the field, the longest streak in NBA history.