Six degrees of separation, an idea that everyone is six or fewer connections away from reaching anyone, is liberating. In the age of social media, it is actually three or fewer degrees and Bobby Portis used it to his advantage. The former Knicks player tried his luck and convinced Giannis Antetokounmpo to consider his signing request. 

The Bucks, in 2020-21 are finally living up to their regular season hype. They’re 1-2 down against the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals and have every potential to win the series from here. But all this might not have been possible if not for the off-season trades/signings, especially the ones involving Jrue Holiday and Bobby Portis.

When Bobby Portis reached out to Giannis Antetokounmpo

In the world where major athletes have their sports agents handle all the off-court deals, Bobby Portis went old-school. Last year, Bobby was a player under contract with the New York Knicks. But unfortunately, their 21-45 run in 2019-20 forced them to miss out on joining the 22-team Orlando Bubble. That suddenly made the then 25-YO Bobby jobless for nine long months starting March 2020.

Following the Disney Bubble and the Bucks’ disheartening loss against the Heat, Bobby got an idea. The center-forward firmly believed he could be of help to the Bucks organization and he decided to act upon that thought.

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In a recent interview with The Athletic, the star revealed, “I actually hit Giannis up and told him I can come help the team and I can help everyone out. He went to the boss (front office) and told him come and get me. It made it better, having a guy like that back me and having confidence in me every day.” 

So that was how a reachable Freak turned the fortunes for a promising talent. 

‘A Great Leader’: Milwaukee Bucks’ Teammate is in Awe of Giannis Antetokounmpo After Stellar Performance vs Suns

What forced the star to choose the Milwaukee Bucks over other teams?

The 2015 #22 pick joined the Bulls and had veteran mentors like Joakim Noah to guide him during his rookie year. He showed tremendous improvement in his third year with the franchise, good enough to receive the chance of a contract extension. However, the confident 6’10” player turned down the offer and instead moved to the Wizards in a mid-season deal.

Later, he would join the Knicks and start to feel a disconnect because all he cared about was winning titles. Bobby, in the same interview, revealed how he was in a financially stable situation last year to turn down other offers and instead join the Bucks. A distant admirer of Milwaukee’s culture, he could finally sign a 2-year $7427150 deal with his favorite team.

Fast forward to today, even after spending three Brooklyn games on the bench, the star played a match-winning night against the Hawks in Game 5. Ever since, he is a crowd favorite, a cult hero, and a crucial centerpiece in the finals against the Suns.

Do you see Bobby Buckets as a clutch player? Help us know in the comments below.

Watch this story – Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Historic Night in Game 3 vs the Phoenix Suns