Brotherly love: Siblings who were NBA teammates

ByAnthony Gharib ESPN logo
Friday, October 27, 2023

With the 2023-24 NBA season underway, the Milwaukee Bucks have one of the more unusual rosters in all of basketball.



Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard rightfully headline the Milwaukee Bucks, but Milwaukee also has a unique brother quartet -- Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Brook and Robin Lopez. The brothers are all teammates again, spearheading a list of the top NBA siblings. The Lopez twins and Antetokounmpo brothers were also teammates in the 2019-2020 season. From the Antetokounbros to the Wilkins brothers, here are some NBA brothers that ended up on the same team.




Giannis Antetokounmpo and Thanasis Antetokounmpo


The Antetokounmpo brothers teamed up in 2019 and haven't left each other's side since. They became champions together in 2021, slotting them high up in the brother power rankings.



In March 2021, Giannis and Thanasis Antetokounmpo played against their younger brother Kostas Antetokounmpo, joining the Holiday brothers as another trio of siblings who faced off in the NBA. They also teamed up with their youngest brother Alex Antetokounmpo in the 2022 All-Star Game skills challenge.



Brook Lopez and Robin Lopez


Brook and Robin Lopez were drafted five spots apart in 2008 and teamed up during the 2019-20 season. Robin Lopez left the Milwaukee Bucks after one season before rejoining this year.



The two were also teammates in high school and college basketball with the Stanford Cardinal.



The Lopez brothers became part of history in 2019, playing in a game with the Antetokounmpo brothers and Holiday brothers.



Moritz Wagner and Franz Wagner


Elder brother Moritz was the trailblazer of the family, joining the Michigan Wolverines beginning in 2015. During his stay in Ann Arbor he was named the 2018 Big Ten tournament MVP, and also earned All-Tournament Team honors that season during the NCAA tourney. He was a first-round pick (No. 25 overall) that offseason by the Lakers, and after short stops (via trades) with the Wizards and Celtics, signed with the Magic in 2021.




Franz followed Mo to Michigan, arriving in 2019 and sticking around until 2021. He holds draft pedigree priority over his older brother, having been selected 8th overall by the Magic in 2021, where he has played since.



The pair have also appeared internationally together representing Germany:



Marcus Morris Sr. and Markieff Morris


The Morris twins were drafted five minutes apart in the 2013 NBA draft. The Phoenix Suns picked Markieff Morris at No. 13 before the Houston Rockets took Marcus Morris at No. 14. Two years later, the Rockets traded Marcus Morris to the Suns, pairing him with his twin brother.



Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris played two seasons together, and in March 2013 became the first twins to start for a team in NBA history, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.



Justin Holiday and Aaron Holiday


The Holiday brothers teamed up on the Indiana Pacers for two seasons plus a portion of the 2022-23 season on the Atlanta Hawks.



Aaron Holiday averaged a career high in points when with his brother in Indiana, while Justin Holiday had his second-highest points per game average.



Aaron and Justin are, of course, the brothers of Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday. In 2019 when the Pacers played the New Orleans Pelicans, they became the first trio of brothers to appear on the court at the same time in an NBA game.




Zoran Dragic and Goran Dragic


Zoran Dragic spent his lone year in the NBA with two teams -- the Suns and Miami Heat, both times with his older brother Goran Dragic. The brothers were traded together to Miami, which marked the beginning of Goran Dragic's successful tenure with the Heat.



In Phoenix, Goran and Zoran Dragic were teammates with Marcus and Markieff Morris, marking the first time in NBA history that two sets of brothers played on the court for the same team at the same time.



Caleb Martin and Cody Martin


The twin brothers played together in high school, college and the NBA with the Charlotte Hornets. Caleb Martin went undrafted before signing with the Hornets, who drafted Cody Martin in the second round in 2019.



They spent two seasons together before Caleb Martin joined the Miami Heat, splitting the brothers up.



Dominique Wilkins and Gerald Wilkins


After a season playing overseas, Dominique Wilkins decided to sign with the Orlando Magic to play with his younger brother, Gerald Wilkins.



Dominique Wilkins played just 27 games while Gerald Wilkins played in three. It was the final NBA season for both players.

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