On September 1, the Milwaukee Bucks signed Alex Antetokounmpo and then promptly waived him. The signing and waiving of two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo’s youngest brother was presumably a strategic move by Milwaukee. The Bucks already have two Antetokounmpos on their roster (Giannis & Thanasis), and likely figure that a third might make “The Greek Freak” more willing to remain in Milwaukee.
Thus far the middle Antetokounmpo has been noncommittal when it comes to discussing an extension with the Bucks. By signing the runt of the litter (Alex is 6-foot-8, mind you), Milwaukee retains his G-league rights and shows some brotherly love.
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) September 1, 2023
The Bucks seem to revel in this approach, because for the second time in their careers, twin brothers Brook and Robin Lopez will be teammates in Milwaukee again. The Lopez brothers played together for the Bucks in the 2019-20 campaign.
The Indiana Pacers have also historically shown a penchant for preferring to keep it in the family. Justin and Aaron Holiday played together on the Pacers from 2019-2021. Here’s a juicy bit of NBA trivia for you. On December 19, 2019, Jrue Holiday (then on the New Orleans Pelicans, now on the Bucks with all the Antetokounmpos and Lopezes) joined his two brothers on the court to create an unprecedented scenario.
For the first time in NBA history, three brothers played on the same court at the same time during a game. Jrue Holiday and the Pelicans got the better of Justin and Aaron’s Pacers, with New Orleans winning 120-98, but the Holiday family appreciated the historic moment. Interestingly, this feat was almost accomplished earlier that very month by (you guessed it) the Antetokounmpo brothers.
Indiana also united Tyler and Ben Hansbrough for the 2012-13 season. The most noteworthy result from that pairing was when Ben got elbowed in the face by Cleveland Cavaliers’ big man Tristan Thompson. Tyler took exception to his little brother getting drilled, and was ready to throw down with Thompson.
The Phoenix Suns signed the NBA’s first joint contract in 2014 when twin brothers Marcus and Markieff Morris agreed to a combined $52 million deal. Unfortunately for the Morris twins, this story doesn’t have a happy ending. The Suns traded Marcus to the Detroit Pistons six months after the ink dried on the contract, and Markieff then demanded a trade out of Phoenix, so he was sent to the Washington Wizards.
Fast forward to the 2017 NBA Playoffs. Marcus Morris’ Pistons have been eliminated, and brother Markieff suffers a horrendous ankle injury in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Wizards and Celtics. Surprisingly, Morris is back in action for Game 2, looking like a brand-new man. Perhaps he was a brand-new man.
The twins had previously admitted to trading places during Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) games and school tests, so the speculation that followed was warranted.
Happy Birthday to Marcus & Markieff Morris! pic.twitter.com/fGop8DKMmv
— Kansas Jayhawk Fans (@FansOfKU) September 2, 2023
To tie the proverbial room together, the Phoenix Suns signed Zoran Dragic in September 2014, joining him with his brother Goran. Zoran stayed with the Suns for six games, but during one of them, the Dragics were on the floor at the same time as the Morrises. This marked the first time in NBA history that two sets of brothers shared the floor together. The Dragics were later dealt to the Miami Heat together in a three-team deal, and after 10 games with the Heat, Zoran was flipped to the Celtics. Boston waived the younger Dragic shortly after acquiring him.
If we take it back to the 1998-99 season, Dominique Wilkins and his brother Gerald teamed to play on the Orlando Magic for what would be their final seasons. “The Human Highlight Film” played in 27 games and averaged 5 PPG, while Gerald suited up thrice for the Magic and didn’t make much of an impact.
However, one must wonder what could have been if Dominique and Gerald Wilkins had joined forces in the primes of their careers. Only “Nique” reached the Hall of Fame, but Gerald owns a respectable 13 PPG career scoring average, and played for a formidable New York Knicks regime in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Perhaps the Wilkins brothers could have given Michael Jordan and the Bulls dynasty a run for their money in the right spot.
