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Bobby Portis shares crazy story of how he ended up with Bucks
Bucks forward Bobby Portis was a key reserve during Milwaukee's 2021 championship run, an opportunity he received only after reaching out to superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Appearing on JJ Redick and Tommy Alter's "The Old Man and the Three" podcast, Portis discussed the unconventional route that led him to the Bucks. Milwaukee was not interested in Portis at the time, but he wanted to play for a contender and asked to join the team.
"I called Milwaukee. They never call ed me first," Portis told Redick. "I swear, like, it's crazy."
In the 2019 offseason, Portis signed a two-year contract with the Knicks, including a team option for 2020-21. New York had a terrible season, as it failed to make the Orlando bubble, and Portis was underwhelming, averaging 10.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.
As he watched the playoffs that season, Portis anticipated the Knicks wouldn't exercise his team option and decided to scout potential suitors.
The top-seeded Bucks lost in five games to Miami in the second round, and Portis felt he could add a different element to the team after watching the series.
Despite his agent Mark Bartelstein's recommendation to accept the highest offer possible, Portis insisted money wasn't a concern. After being labeled a "losing player" and an incident involving teammate Nikola Mirotić during his time w ith Chicago, Portis was determined to clean up his reputation.
Since Milwaukee didn't contact Portis about signing with the team, Portis told Redick that he had asked his agent to connect him with the team's franchise player.
“I was like, ‘Hey man [Bartelstein], what about Milwaukee man? Do you have Giannis’ number or something,'” Portis recalled. “So I called him myself and was like, ‘Hey, yo Gian. You don’t know me, bro. I don’t know you. But I promise I can help y’all win a championship.'”
"And six months later, we won the championship," Portis continued. "That's one of the craziest things ever, bro."
In disbelief, Redick replied, "I actually got chills when you said that."
Bobby Portis on his 2020 free agency. Love this story of him calling Giannis and telling him he could help him win a chip. pic.twitter.com/K3vWOmV6Ct
— JJ Redick (@jj_redick) March 8, 2023
During the 2021 playoffs, Portis averaged 8.8 points and five rebounds per game, shooting 46.4% from the field and 34.6% from behind the arc. In Game 6 of the NBA Finals, he recorded 16 points and three rebounds, helping the Bucks close out the series against the Suns.
After winning the championship, Portis re-signed with the Bucks on a two-year contract worth $9 million, including a player option. He exercised the player option the following offseason and re-signed with Milwaukee on a four-year, $49 million deal.
This season, Portis is averaging 13.7 points and 9.7 rebounds in 25.9 minutes per game for the current No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
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