Milwaukee Bucks select Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2013 NBA Draft
MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The Milwaukee Bucks had the #15 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft on Thursday night, June 27th, and selected: 18-year-old Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Antetokounmpo is a Greek professional basketball player of Nigerian descent. He is a 6'9" tall small forward that can also play as a point forward.
His older brother,Thanasis Antetokounmpo, is also a professional basketball player.
Giannis Antetokounmpo's nickname is "The Greek Freak".
Giannis was interviewed shortly after he was selected to join the Bucks.
THE MODERATOR: "Just start with an opening statement about your feelings about being drafted by Milwaukee, please."
GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: "First of all, I want to thank my family, my mother, my brother, my father, my team, my coaches. I still don't believe this is happening. I can't describe how excited I feel to get drafted in the first round by the Milwaukee Bucks. It's a dream come true. But this is not the end. It's only the beginning, you know, to a very long road that maybe someday will give me the opportunity to make my NBA team successful.
But I know I'm not ready, but I have a lot of work ahead of me. But I'm not afraid. I will give everything in the court, in the gym. And I will prove to the Milwaukee Bucks that they made the right choice. And then I want to thank my agent for the work a lot for all of this, for the draft, for everything. Thank you."
Q. "Giannis, congratulations. Will you be playing for the Bucks this season or will you wait a while to come to play for the team?"
GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: "I think for sure I will stay in the NBA, the Milwaukee Bucks."
Q. "Congratulations and we haven't seen a lot of your play, because you're in Europe and we're here. Do you think you're going to mix well with the Bucks? And are you going to be more offense or defense?"
GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: "I'll be both. I'm going to try my best."
Q. "Giannis, you were in to see Atlanta. They were the only team that worked you out. Were you surprised that it was Milwaukee? It seemed like all indications it was Atlanta."
GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: "No. (Speaking Greek.)"
TRANSLATOR: "He wasn't surprised. He knew he was going to get drafted. He wasn't surprised. He wasn't aiming for Atlanta Hawks."
Q. "Giannis, can you talk a little about, I know your family had a lot of struggles growing up. Can you talk about what life was like for you guys growing up? What tonight means for you and your family?"
GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO: "This moment I'm very happy. And I think in the past, make me sad. We struggled a lot in the past to have a better life, and now that I get drafted in the NBA, for sure we're going to have a better life. And I think now my mother and my father at home, they will be very happy to see me drafted, because four years in sadness and poverty is very difficult. Maybe after four years, maybe today is the happiest day of their life to see me drafted, to see all that work and effort that they gave then, he work out. He worked out, a good thing."
The Bucks' 2012-2013 record was 38-44 -- and the Bucks have recently hired a new coach, Larry Drew.
The Bucks are set to make the #43 pick in the second round of the NBA Draft.
Milwaukee Bucks Statistics:
Under Contract
G: Ish Smith
F: Drew Gooden
F: John Henson
F: Ersan Ilyasova
F: Luc Mbah a Moute
F: Larry Sanders
F: Ekpe Udoh
C: Gustavo Ayon
Free Agents
G: Brandon Jennings (restricted)
G: Monta Ellis (player option)
G: J.J. Redick
G/F: Mike Dunleavy
G/F: Marquis Daniels
C: Samuel Dalembert
C: Joel Przybilla
Recent Draft History
2012: John Henson (14), Doron Lamb (42)
2011: Jimmer Fredette (10), Jon Leuer (40)
2010: Larry Sanders (15), Darington Hobson (37), Jerome Jordan (44), Tiny Gallon (47)
2009: Brandon Jennings (10), Jodie Meeks (41)
2008: Joe Alexander (8), Luc Mbah a Moute (37)
2007: Yi Jianlian (6), Ramon Sessions (56)
2006: David Noel (39)
The Milwaukee Bucks have not won a playoff series since 2001.