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It took Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis a few years to find his NBA home, spending the first five years of his career with three different teams.
Drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 2015, Portis spent the first three years of his career in Chicago before being traded to the Washington Wizards in 2019. After signing a two-year deal with the Knicks in 2019, New York declined the club option for the second year, opening up the opportunity for Portis to sign with the Bucks in 2020.
Bobby Portis #9 of the Milwaukee Bucks reacts after scoring the go-ahead basket in the fourth quarter of Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on May 11, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts.
(Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images)
In Milwaukee, Portis says he’s finally able to be his “authentic self,” helping Milwaukee win the organization’s first championship since the 1974 season. And the Bucks’ faithful will have the opportunity to cheer on the fan favorite for years to come after Portis signed a four-year, $49 million deal during the offseason.
“I get peace of mind here, man,” Portis told Fox News Digital when asked about re-signing with Milwaukee. “I get to be my true authentic self. In my basketball career, I’ve never been able to just be Bobby. I always got judged for wearing a headband in Chicago. ‘He’s a thug.’ I get a lot of technicals because I play with passion. ‘He can’t control his anger.’ Or I got into a situation with a teammate, and now I’m a bad locker room guy. So, I never really got a chance to be my true authentic self because of the narrative that was already created for me.”
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“Coming here, I got a chance to just be me, I got a chance to impact winning, I got a chance to be on a championship team. And, truth be told, I got a chance to just have fun again. I’m having fun again. That’s the biggest thing.”
For Portis, the contract is the culmination of years of hard work, as well as the dedication of his mother — who raised him as a single mom — and who Portis credits for his success as well as the reason for the Bobby Portis Foundation.
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“My foundation is centered around empowering single moms,” Portis said. “I had a single mom growing up. She was my pride and joy. My mom worked hard to take care of me and my little brothers. Just being able to help others has always been my calling, always been something that I want to do in life. It’s one of those things that just made sense.
Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks hi-fives Bobby Portis #9 during Game 5 of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals on May 11, 2022 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
“So, shout-out to my mom. Obviously, she’s a single mom, and it was tough on her growing up. But definitely shout-out to my mom for showing me the ropes on how to work hard and how to spread my blessings to others.”
The Bobby Portis Foundation is “dedicated to supporting and empowering single mother families,” work that is very close to Portis’ heart.
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“I lived in 17, 18 different houses growing up,” Portis told Fox News Digital. “That was all the motivation I needed to be honest. Just crazy situations we were in. Living in houses sometimes with 12, 13 other people. Sometimes, if you didn’t get home early enough to get the bed, you were on the floor.”
“One thing my mom really did for me was when it was time for me to play sports, my mom always made sure I was there,” Portis continued. “When it was time for me to play football, basketball… my mom always made time to make sure that I got to practice or got to my games. My mom wasn’t necessarily always at all of my games growing up because she had to work to take care of us, but she definitely made sure that I was there. And once I got older, once I started getting a little better, I knew I could probably change my mom’s life and help change my little brothers’ life.”
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In signing the four-year deal to remain in Milwaukee, Portis now has the financial security that most in life are not fortunate enough to find. But Portis wants to make sure that he partners with companies that can assist him in building generational wealth for his family.
Bobby Portis #9 of the Milwaukee Bucks talks to the media after Round 1 Game 3 of the 2022 NBA Playoffs against the Chicago Bulls on April 22, 2022 at United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
(Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)
“The Goldman Sachs Wealth Management team, obviously I’ve been with them for four or five years now,” Portis said. “So, they do a great job with my money, helping me build generational wealth for my kids, kids. So, obviously shout-out out to the team, and love them dearly.”
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“Having a good team around you, having good people that can help you make the right decisions in helping build your money, help you save your money,” Portis added. “Because it’s not about how much money you make, it’s about how much money you save. So, having a good team like my team at Goldman Sachs — the Goldman Sachs Wealth Management team — they’ve helped me save my money and helped me build generational wealth for my kids, kids. I don’t have kids now, but obviously one day I’ll have kids hopefully, and I can help have generational wealth for them for their kids when they have kids.”
With his contract settled, Portis will now have the opportunity to continue building what has been created in Milwaukee with the foundation of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and three-time All-Star Khris Middleton.
He’s found a home in Milwaukee, with an organization that is set to compete for championships for years to come.
“Not many teams play team basketball, but we do,” Portis added.
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