Don't look now — or please do — but there's another Antetokounmpo on the rise.
Alex Antetokounmpo, the younger brother of NBA All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo, is having a breakout junior season himself, averaging 18.8 points,
8.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.8 steals per contest this
season, while leading
Dominican (Whitefish Bay, Wis.) to an overall record of 13-7.
The numbers don't quite pop quite like his brother, who for the second consecutive year finished second in All-Star votes to LeBron James. Many believe, at 27.2 points, 12.7 rebounds and 6 assists per game for the Milwaukee Bucks, the team with the best record in the NBA at the All-Star Weekend, Giannis is the league MVP.
Clearly, as his point and rebound per game averages have increased in each of his now six seasons in the NBA, his star power has grown.
The same is true for Alex at the prep level as the 6-foot-7, Class of 2020 wing leads the team in both scoring and rebounding season.
Last year, as a sophomore, Alex averaged 14.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.2 steals per contest. As a freshman he averaged just 2.9 points and 2.8 rebounds while playing sparingly.
Alex Antetokounmpo is rising at the rate of his older brother, NBA All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo.
File photo by Dean Reid
Alex's increase in production is similar to his older brother's improvement over his first three years in the NBA.
Giannis averaged just 6.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game as a rookie, increasing those averages to 12.7, 6.7 and 2.6 his second season and 16.9, 7.7 and 4.3 the season after.
Surprisingly, Alex's improved production, skills and bloodlines — he has another brother Kostas who was a 2018 second-round draft pick of the Philadelphia 76ers — have yet to lead to a college scholarship offer. Expect that to change over the summer, as he continues to make his own name for himself.
Alex Antetokounmpo owns the same DNA and skill set of his brother Giannis, while averaging 18.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks for Dominican (Whitefish Bay, WI).
File photo by Dean Reid