Bucks star Bobby Portis partners with VISIT Milwaukee to basically become the city's hype man
JR Radcliffe
Bobby and Milwaukee. They belong together.
VISIT Milwaukee, a collective of local businesses and services that conspire to market the city as a business and leisure destination, announced a partnership with Bobby Portis, the enormously popular Bucks role player who just re-signed as a free agent to stay in Milwaukee.
VISIT released a video of Portis bringing his hype to Milwaukee hotspots, playing volleyball at Bradford Beach, riding a boat on the Milwaukee River, hanging out at the Milwaukee Public Market and Iron Horse Hotel, and soaking in the sunshine at the Milwaukee Art Museum.
The video will be used to promote Milwaukee in markets within a six-hour drive of the city.
“Since Bobby has made a name for himself as a fan favorite and an emotional leader with the Milwaukee Bucks, we thought it would be fun to have Bobby bring the same energy to promoting the great things to do in Milwaukee during the summer,” VISIT vice president of marketing and communications Josh Albrecht said in a release.
In the video, Portis is wearing a "Bobby POTUS" shirt, which is perfect, of course. In case we need to explain, POTUS traditionally serves as shorthand for "president of the United States" and Portis just signed to stay for four. more. years. He's getting $49 million to do it, too.
“We love this partnership with Bobby and are looking forward to more like it with other athletes, entertainers, musicians, and artists throughout the city over the next few years to help us showcase how thriving and vibrant Milwaukee is and will continue to be,” Albrecht said.
Portis, who first joined the Bucks for the 2020-21 season, has self-identified as an "underdog" story within the context of Milwaukee's run to the 2021 championship, and the love affair between the player and city has gone well beyond the chants of "Bob-by" during Bucks games.
His return is one of several moves the Bucks have made to largely retain the same group of players that contributed to the 2021 NBA title, and the squad will enter the 2022-23 season among the favorites to do it again.
JR Radcliffe can be reached at (262) 361-9141 or jradcliffe@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JRRadcliffe.