Bobby Portis walked into Hype Boys Boutique in downtown Milwaukee wearing his signature smile — but this wasn't just another signing. It was a chance for him to say goodbye to the city he says became his home.
Fans lined up around the block for a photo, an autograph, or even just a hug, despite the heat.
Portis, who spent six years with the Milwaukee Bucks, said the event was about giving back to the community before his trade to the Miami Heat.
"Fan appreciation obviously being somewhere for so long. It's been six years. A community that you call as your own — I kinda wanted to send it out the right way," Portis said.
For fans like Rochelle Pitlick, meeting Portis was an emotional moment.
Watch: Bobby Portis says goodbye to Milwaukee with a fan event at a downtown boutique
"He's so genuine — multiple hugs, such a nice guy. I just — I was so excited to finally meet him like I got to Bucks games with my jersey — big fan," Pitlick said.
Portis also reflected on the trade that sends him to Miami, where he'll reunite with some familiar faces.
"It means the world to get traded that you're familiar with. It would be different if I got traded by myself where I didn't know anybody. I'm kinda familiar with Erik Spoelstra — I played with the USA team three years ago. Andrew Wiggins is in my high school class. We were McDonald High All-Americans together," Portis said.
Bucks fan Brian Burmeister said Portis's time in Milwaukee meant more than just basketball.
"Six years — he came to Milwaukee as a young man that really hadn't proven himself, and we were a young team that hadn't proven ourselves, and he grew with us, and we got to experience something never seen in the last couple of decades," Burmeister 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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