MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo has agreed to a three-year, $186 million contract extension with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Fans and businesses are excited about more wins on the court and a continued boost to the economy.
Nathan Marzion is a longtime Milwaukee Bucks fan. He’s been following the team since he was just 5 years old.
“Yea, ever since I was basically old enough to know what basketball was, I’ve been a huge Bucks fan. My dad took me to games when I was young and the team wasn’t very good, but luckily tickets were cheap and got to watch a lot of Bucks basketball and just really become a die-hard fan of the team,” said Marzion.
Marzion said a lot has changed since he was young, especially after the Bucks drafted Giannis in 2013.
“When he first arrived here in 2013, there wasn’t that much excitement around the team. The ticket sales weren’t as high, merchandise sales weren’t as high, there was not the same level of Buck fandom as there is now. Now I feel like if you walk around the city for a little bit, you are guaranteed to see someone wearing Bucks gear,” said Marzion.
The Bucks’ annual revenue went from $110 million in the 2013-14 season to $352 million in the 2022, according to Statista, a global data platform. The report said the team’s overall value jumped from $312 million in 2013 to $3.2 billion in 2023.
“That whole playoff run in 2021 when they won the championship was unlike anything I’ve ever seen and unlike anything I thought could happen with the Milwaukee Bucks, it’s a small market team, you’d never thought that you’d get 80,000 people outside of the arena a playoff game,” said Marzion.
Luciano Stephenson is a bartender at Mader’s German Restaurant. He said on game nights, business more than doubles.
“You just think of where we were when he first came here, it wasn’t even the Fiserv Forum, it was the Bradley Center, not as many places open in downtown and this area and just because he’s been playing so well and the rest of the team too, and it’s just been able to grow this downtown area,” said Stephenson.
Marzion said he believes Giannis’ commitment to Milwaukee will entice other superstar athletes to follow suit.
“Encourages other players, other superstars to not be afraid of the small market and to want to come to a place like Milwaukee and thrive here and really become a local legend,” said Marzion.
It’s a trend Marzion said he believes could lead to another NBA title for the Milwaukee Bucks and a big payoff for the city and the state.