An Antetokounmpo double act for Greece is what Thanasis craves

ATHENS (2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament) - Nigeria wants him. Thanasis, the older brother of Greece superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, is well aware of that.

Last year's high-flying AfroBasket champions are not short of talented players. But they believe there is room in their program for one more, which is why D'Tigers recently named Thanasis in their preliminary squad for the 2016 Olympics. Nigeria would appear to have a lot to tempt the forward, a second round pick of the New York Knicks in 2014 who has yet to make it in the NBA.

For starters, Thanasis, who has played for the Westchester Knicks in the NBDL, knows that Nigeria are already in the Olympics thanks to their first-ever African Championship success last summer in Tunisia.

Then there is the strong Nigerian connection that the Antetokounmpo brothers have to the country. Their parents are Nigerian.

But Thanasis has made up his mind. He was born and raised in Greece, and it's that country that he wants to represent.

"I called them (Nigeria) and told them that I want to play for Greece," he said. "I grew up in Greece, I am feeling Greek and that's my dream."

The 23-year-old has been doing well with Westchester. When the fans show up at the club, he is one of the high-fliers they want to see. It's unclear what his national team prospects are with Greece, though. Does he really have a chance to join his brother?

The 21-year-old Giannis was a member of the teams that played at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and at EuroBasket 2015. He captivated fans. He soared through the air for dunks and rose high above the rim to block shots.

At 2.11m in height, Giannis is taller than Thanasis, who stands 2.01m. There is more upside to the former's game, which is why he already has three years of the NBA under his belt and is considered one of the game's finest young talents.

Greece coach Fotis Katsikaris, who is set to lead Murcia in the Spanish league play-offs starting this weekend, has yet to decide about the make-up of his preliminary squad and whether Thanasis will be included. He has kept his cards close to his chest.

One certainty is that Giannis is looking forward to playing for Greece at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Turin. The national team will play in Group A against Iran and Mexico and, if they advance, face one or two teams from a Group B that consists of Croatia, Italy and Tunisia.

"I want to play for the national team," Giannis said, his remarks published this week on Eurohoops.net. "The Bucks know it. We have not talked yet on this matter. Even if they are negative, I would try to convince them to let me play."

FIBA