A makeshift shrine continues to grow at the base of the 54-foot-tall mural of NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo emblazoned on the east façade of the 600 East building at 600-606 E. Wisconsin Ave.
News of his trade to the Miami Heat, along with teammate Bobby Portis Jr., has rocked fans. And many have left tributes to the power forward who helped shepherd the Milwaukee Bucks to a 2021 NBA championship.
A bouquet of roses. Notes of gratitude, including one thanking Antetokounmpo for Bucks tickets. An NBA championship cap. Countless photos. A jersey embossed with Antetokounmpo’s number 34. A Journal Sentinel newspaper showing Antetokounmpo hoisting the MVP trophy for that championship season.
The mementoes — some deeply personal and a little soggy from rains Wednesday, June 24 — underscored Antetokounmpo’s impact on the Bucks franchise and the city itself.
Kelly Frost of Brookfield was among the Bucks fans stopping by the mural, snapping keepsake photos.
Antetokounmpo, Frost said, did a lot for the Bucks and the city of Milwaukee. She credits him for bringing back the love people had for the team, which had struggled at times.
“I know it sounds silly, but I still have that newspaper when they won the championship,” Frost said, adding that she found some solace in the trade. “I’m glad Bobby Portis is going with him to Miami.”
Milwaukee residents Alejandro Castillo, 15, and his mom, Kari Durr, made a pitstop on their way to the barber shop to visit the mural. Durr wanted to grab a few selfies, fearing the landmark mural — painted by Mauricio Ramirez — might be removed since Antetokounmpo is no longer a Buck.
It will remain, according to the Milwaukee Downtown Business Improvement District #21, which commissioned it in a partnership with the Bucks and the 600 East office building.
Durr said the family are basketball fans and her son has all of Antetokounmpo’s jerseys, even his gym shoes.
She called it an amazing experience to see the Bucks go all the way to the 2021 title.
“End of an era,” Durr lamented.
“It was fun to watch him play,” Castillo said.
Durr called Antetokounmpo a great role model for youth who invested not just his time but also his money in the city. He and his wife, Mariah, worked with the Milwaukee Diaper Mission to raise awareness about diaper poverty, among other community involvement.
During the uprising in 2020 after the death of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, Antetokounmpo and five other Bucks players wore “I can’t breathe” T-shirts and marched with protesters.
“I understand the dynamics of the trade, but it is just sad,” Durr said.
Blake Christensen stopped by the mural after working as an intern for Northwestern Mutual. He said the personal tributes left at the mural signifies Antetokounmpo’s impact on Milwaukee.
“You can’t tell the story of Milwaukee without Giannis,” Christensen said.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Roses, notes, a newspaper and more; shrine at Giannis mural grows
Reporting by La Risa R. Lynch, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By La Risa R. Lynch, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
