MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee fans gathered Tuesday at the mural in downtown to say goodbye to Giannis Antetokounmpo, reflecting on 13 years of memories as the star heads to a new home in the NBA.
The two-time NBA MVP has been traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to the Miami Heat in a blockbuster deal that brings an end to an unforgettable era in Milwaukee.
WATCH: Fans gathered at the mural in downtown to say goodbye to Giannis Antetokounmpo
Previous Coverage: https://www.tmj4.com/sports/basketball/milwaukee-bucks/giannis-antetokounmpo-traded-to-the-miami-heat-espn-reports
From bobbleheads to jerseys to a toast, fans shared reflections on the moments No. 34 gave the city.
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Terrence Trussell, a Bucks fan, said the 2021 championship moment still sticks with him.
"When they first gave him that trophy, and he held it up in the air, was like getting kind of teary eyes, like happy, like you won it. It almost felt like I won it, even though I didn't play," Trussell said.
Fellow fan Adam Tomcheck pointed to one performance above all others.
"Winning the championship, game six. I mean, scoring 50 points to close out the finals. I mean, doesn't get much better than that," Tomcheck said.
For Jade Jones, Antetokounmpo's impact went beyond basketball.
"I just feel like he's a very family man, and just inspires me to like treat my family good, set them up right in the future," Jones said.
Fred Gillich, owner of 414 Milwaukee, also stopped by Tuesday. In 2017, he created free T-shirts for Antetokounmpo's birthday that read "Greece Lightning."
Previous Coverage: https://www.tmj4.com/sports/basketball/milwaukee-bucks/local-t-shirt-designer-celebrates-giannis-birthday
"It was kind of a tongue in cheek joke to the Grease movie, the Grease Lightning song," Gillich said.
One of Gillich's favorite memories was watching Antetokounmpo play with those shirts throughout the fan section. He continued to watch Antetokounmpo closely and saw how he helped put Milwaukee on the map, with the championship serving as the icing on the cake.
"Everyone benefited. I think just with the sense of pride of being from Milwaukee, saying to everyone when you travel that, hey, I'm from Milwaukee, and that's cool to know. And then actually people knowing where it is," Gillich said.
For Gillich, though, it is how Antetokounmpo embraced the city that will last longest.
"All the sport athletes, I think, that have come through the city, and no one's done it better than Giannis," Gillich said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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