Bucks' Damian Lillard Calls out Thanasis Antetokounmpo Trolls: 'It's Disrespectful'

Damian Lillard isn't going to stand for social media trolls coming down on teammate Thanasis Antetokounmpo.

Lillard called the fan narrative that Antetokounmpo is a nepotism hire "disrespectful" during a recent interview with Complex's West Wilson.

"Here's the thing about TA. People try to be funny but I would put good money that a lot of those people talking on Twitter wouldn't be able to beat him in the game of one-on-one," Lillard said. "Like his defensively. he's big, he's strong, he's athletic, he's competitive. It's disrespectful. I see a lot of stuff on social media about TA, there's people who think they are more talented or have more ability but they could never take his spot. You're not going to find a guy that's more about the team and shows up and works hard."

Antetokounmpo, the older brother of Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, has been in Milwaukee since 2019. He's played a reserve role throughout his career, largely appearing in garbage time, and leading to near-constant mockery from fans who believe he's only on a roster due to the presence of his brother.

While Thanasis certainly isn't the most skilled NBA player, it's worth noting his career did not begin in Milwaukee. The Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks both had him on their G League squads, and the Knicks even brought him up to the NBA for a short spell in the 2015-16 season.

Thanasis also spent time playing at a high level overseas for Andorra and Panathinaikos. The Greek League named him Most Spectacular Player in 2017-18, and he led Panathinaikos to a championship in back-to-back seasons.

So, suffice it to say, the people with the strongest NBA Twitter fingers wouldn't stand much of a chance against Thanasis on the floor.