After months of anticipation, the Los Angeles Lakers and its fans finally got to see rookie Adou Thiero make his NBA debut against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Head coach JJ Redick had hoped Thiero would make his debut on the team’s road trip, and it came on the final leg of it against a Bucks team that’s been fairly solid. Los Angeles entered the matchup shorthanded after ruling out Rui Hachimura and Marcus Smart prior to tipoff.
Thiero checked in for the first time late in the first quarter and immediately displayed his athleticism with an offensive rebounds that led to a Maxi Kleber 3-pointer. Thiero got more action with the game out of hand in the fourth quarter and scored his first points at the free throw line. However, his best play came in the final minute where Bronny James found him streaking down the right side of the court and the rookie threw down a ferocious dunk.
After the game, several Lakers players tried to grab the game ball to hand to Thiero to commemorate his NBA debut. While officials originally turned them down, Giannis Antetokounmpo took matters into his own hands and got the ball for Thiero:
Giannis secured the game ball for Lakers rookie Adou Thiero after scoring his first NBA points. pic.twitter.com/9BwecS0pdy
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) November 16, 2025
Thiero was initially unaware that his teammates tried to get him the ball so he expressed his thanks to them afterwards, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“At first I didn’t realize it was all for me, but I’m very thankful for this team and I think that shows how connected we are and want each other to succeed as a team.”
It was a kind gesture from Antetokounmpo and the Lakers players who understand how special it is for a rookie to finally step foot on an NBA court. Thiero’s rehab process took longer than anticipated, but it appears it was worth the wait as the rookie looked completely healthy.
Thiero’s main calling card is his freakish athleticism, a trait that has been missing in Los Angeles for some time. It remains to be seen if he can actually earn rotation minutes this year, but the future looks bright for the young forward.
JJ Redick explains why Lakers have been cautious with Adou Thiero’s rehab
JJ Redick and the Lakers have been careful with players returning from injury and he explained the team wanted Adou Thiero to be completely healthy before throwing him into any game action.
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