Milwaukee gets Giannis mural

Giannis Antetokounmpo is featured in a mural that will give the two-time NBA MVP a larger-than-life presence over downtown Milwaukee all year long.

The mural is 53½ feet (16 meters) high and 56½ feet (17 meters) wide, covering the side of a three-story building. It shows the back of Antetokounmpo in a Milwaukee Bucks jersey with his hands on his hips.

Mauricio Ramirez, who produced the mural, signed his work Friday, several hours before Antetokounmpo led the Bucks into Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semifinal with the Boston Celtics.

Ramirez said he had thought for years about producing something to honor Antetokounmpo. The Greek forward led the Bucks to their first NBA championship in a half-century last year, scoring 50 points in the title-clinching Game 6 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

"I thought it would be awesome to do a proper Giannis mural, not one in the alley, not one on the side of a convenience store," Ramirez said.

"We wanted to do one where we gave him good visibility, because he gave the city of Milwaukee visibility."

Dan Nelson Jr., a longtime Bucks season-ticket holder and the owner of the 600 East building on Milwaukee's Wisconsin Avenue, granted permission to have the mural go on the side of that structure. Ramirez began working on it April 25.

"It's amazing," Antetokounmpo said after a recent playoff game. "When you play basketball, you never expect things like that to happen. You just play basketball because you love the game and you enjoy the game. I feel like once you dedicate yourself to the team and to the city, people feel that. They appreciate it, and things like that happen."

Agencies Via Xinhua