The Milwaukee Bucks trading superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo not only changed the club but also could affect some local businesses.
Antetokounmpo has been involved in several businesses both in and outside of Wisconsin. Recently, he’s become an investor in the ecommerce firm Gopuff and the prediction market platform Kalshi.
Here are three Milwaukee businesses that could see some change now that Antetokounmpo is no longer with the Bucks with the June 22 trade news.
Milwaukee Brewers
In 2021, Antetokounmpo became an investor in the Milwaukee Brewers. During the press conference introducing him as a minority owner, Antetokounmpo said he’d been thinking about getting involved with sports ownership for more than a year.
“There’s no better way to start than with the Milwaukee Brewers. We want to win a championship here,” Antetokounmpo said. “It’s going to take time and patience but we have a great ownership group, we have great players and we’re going to accomplish it with a lot of hard work.”
It’s unclear if Antetokounmpo plans to remain a minority owner of the Brewers or sell his stake in the team.
A source with knowledge on the subject said there will be no change in his ownership with the baseball team. A Brewers spokesperson said the club doesn’t comment on matters related to ownership.
Avli
Beyond his basketball skills, most fans know Antetokounmpo is proud of being from Greece. So much so he became an investing partner in the Greek restaurant Avli, which opened in the Brewers Hill neighborhood in 2023.
Antetokounmpo’s interest in the Avli team dates back to 2018 when he dined at Avli Taverna in Chicago, and he continued to make trips to the restaurant.
Journal Sentinel dining critic Rachel Bernhard wrote of the restaurant in 2023 that is “fills a void in Milwaukee.”
“The menu, filled with approachable, shareable spreads, salads, small plates, entrées and more,” Berhnard wrote. “If you’re not familiar with Greek food, don’t fret. The bubbly servers at Avli are eager to help — with recommendations, wine or spirit pairings, or just the pronunciations of the dishes themselves.”
“We’ve been very fortunate to experience the incredible community that supports Giannis and the Bucks,” Louie Alexakis, Avli founder and CEO, said in a June 23 statement.
“He introduced us to the incredible community here in Milwaukee and for us, it’s business as usual,” Alexakis said. “We’re focused on serving our Milwaukee community and thankful for our continued partnership with Giannis.”
AntetokounBros
Part of what has made Antetokounmpo’s time in Milwaukee felt so special was because it involved his family. His brothers Thanasis and Alex Antetokounmpo have spent time in the Bucks organization and in 2023, Giannis, Thanasis, Kostas, Francis, and Alex Antetokounmpo opened their own store in Milwaukee.
Aptly called AntetokounmBros, it’s located inside The Trade hotel across the street from Fiserv Forum. The brothers previously opened locations in Greece, and the Milwaukee location, 434 W. Juneau Ave., is the first U.S. store.
“This is a second home for us because my family’s been here for over 10 years, and I’ve been here for over half a decade,” Thanasis Antetokounmpo told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in 2023.
“The way Milwaukee has appreciated me, and the way I’ve appreciated Milwaukee, you can’t imagine. I do love Milwaukee, man. I love the fans and I love the city,” he said.
Thanasis and Alex are still part of the Bucks organization. It’s unclear what, if anything, will happen with the store.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What happens now with Giannis’ investments in Brewers, Avli, store
Reporting by Ricardo Torres, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ricardo Torres, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
