The Billion-Dollar Impact Of Giannis Antetokounmpo

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Hey Friends,

Giannis Antetokounmpo put on a historic performance last night — 50 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 blocks — winning Finals MVP and bringing Milwaukee its first NBA championship in 50 years.

During the game, I tweeted out a few statistics breaking down the monetary value that Giannis has provided the city of Milwaukee and the Bucks franchise since being drafted in 2013.

There were a bunch of questions, and since this platform enables me to add more context, I figured that’s exactly what I would do today.

When Giannis was drafted 15th overall in the 2013 NBA draft, the Milwaukee Bucks were valued at $312 million. Now, less than a decade later, the Bucks are valued at $1.86 billion, moving them from the NBA’s least-valuable franchise (30th) to 15th.

Milwaukee Bucks Valuation

• 2013: $312 million

• 2021: $1.86 billion

I picked 2013 as the starting point because that’s when Giannis was drafted, but yes, it’s true that every single NBA franchise has drastically increased in value during that same time period. Still, the Milwaukee Bucks have outperformed.

2013-2021 NBA Valuation Gain

• Avg. NBA Team: +330%

• Milwaukee Bucks: +500%

Much of this has to do with Wes Eden, Marc Lasry, and others buying the team, building a new $550 million arena, transforming the Deer District — 30 acres of bars & restaurants outside the Fiserv Forum — and reaping the benefits of multi-billion-dollar annual TV contracts.

But part of it should also be credited to Giannis. We all know he helps the team win, right? The Bucks made the playoffs just 4 times the decade before Giannis arrived, winning 7 games in total, but they have made the playoffs 7 times since — winning 38 playoff games and an NBA Championship.

Milwaukee Bucks Playoff Wins

• 2001-2013: 7 playoff wins

• 2014-2021: 38 playoff wins & NBA Championship

Those playoff wins are nice, but more importantly, they have helped increased team revenue. The Bucks are now a top 5 team in merchandise sales, ahead of large market organizations like Houston, Chicago, Miami, and Brooklyn. Giannis himself sells more jerseys than anyone in the NBA not named LeBron James.

Also, more fans are attending Bucks home games than ever before.

Milwaukee Bucks Avg. Home Attendance:

• 2013: 13,487

• 2019: 17,602

That increase in attendance has resulted in more sponsorship money, higher in-arena merchandise & concession sales, and millions of dollars in additional profit per playoff run, drastically increasing the Bucks revenue over time.

Milwaukee Bucks Revenue

• 2010-11: $92 million

• 2011-12: $87 million

• 2012-13: $109 million

• 2013-14: $110 million

• 2014-15: $126 million

• 2015-16: $146 million

• 2016-17: $179 million

• 2017-18: $204 million

• 2018-19: $283 million

Just take a look at their operating revenue throughout the years. The Bucks seemingly went from consistently losing money every year to one of the NBA’s most profitable franchises overnight. Again, media deals help but so does Giannis.

It’s not just the team owners who are making more money, though. Sure, the taxpayers funded a large part of the arena, but they’ve also benefited tremendously from the team’s increase in competitiveness.

For example, a typical Bucks playoff game brings at least $3 million in economic activity to the local area, including 2,500 hotel room nights and 700+ jobs. For the NBA Finals, it’s even higher. Not to mention the tens of thousands of championship t-shirts that will be sold throughout the coming weeks and a parade that will surely shut down the city.

Still need more evidence? Just look at the Deer District last night, which, combined with the arena, had 80,000 to 100,000 people in attendance — or about 15% of Milwaukee’s entire population.

The numbers don’t lie; picking a raw 18-year old from Greece 15th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft has been the best decision the Bucks have ever made.

Giannis’ loyalty has been rewarded with a 5-year, $228 million deal — the largest contract in NBA history — but after seeing the economic impact that his spectacular play has had on the city, franchise, and local businesses, it’s hard to argue he isn’t worth even more.

Have a great day, and I’ll talk to everyone tomorrow.

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