Giannis Antetokounmpo pledges $100K to Fiserv Forum workers
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo pledged $100,000 to the Fiserv Forum staff Friday to help offset costs related to workers’ loss of earnings.
“It’s bigger than basketball!” Antetokounmpo wrote. “And during this tough time I want to help the people that make my life, my family’s lives and my teammates lives easier. Me and my family pledge to donate $100,000 to the Fiserv Forum staff. We can get through this together.”
Soon after Antetokounmpo made his pledge, the Bucks organization made one of its own. The Bucks will match all player donations made in support of part-time arena workers.
“This is not something being done for applause or praise, this is us trying
to make a crappy situation a little bit better,” Bucks senior vice president Alex Lasry said at a press conference outside Fiserv Forum on Friday.
On Thursday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced the NBA season will be suspended for at least 30 days in response to the coronavirus which was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization.
The suspension, along with other events being canceled, could impact part-time workers who rely on events at the Fiserv Forum.
Lasry added he anticipates more Bucks players will donate to the fund.
“I think what we anticipate for this fund is to be able to help during these initial 30 days,” Lasry said. “What we’re going to continue to do as an organization is not only work with the union reps and work with employees but try to figure out how can we continue to ensure that the part-time staff are taken care of and are able to get through this time.”
Lasry said he is not aware of any Bucks player testing positive for coronavirus or showing symptoms. “As far as I know everyone seems fine,” Lasry said. Lasry was the first member of the organization to tweet that the franchise would be following Antetokounmpo’s lead in aiding arena workers affected by the league’s hiatus as well as other postponed events. Arena workers were guaranteed a three-hour minimum for Thursday’s game against the Boston Celtics, which was postponed less than 24 hours before tip-off time.
“Everyone at Fiserv Forum is part of our family whether you’re a player, coach, concessionaire, ticket taker, security, etc.,” Lasry said in an interview with the Journal Sentinel.
“It’s an unprecedented situation, and it’s something that I think has caught a lot of us off-guard that games would be suspended. This is kind of Day 1 for us, the first game being suspended yesterday. This is kind of the start of how we want to make sure we’re able to support and help those who are being unfairly affected by this.”
Lasry went on to say that the Bucks are working with union reps to make sure that all those who work at Fiserv Forum have the support they need.
On an average game night, Lasry said there are roughly 1,000 part-time workers in the building.
“This is a situation brought on by extenuating circumstances,” Lasry said. “It’s a global pandemic and we want to make sure that all of our family members are able to be taken care of and we can do our very best to ensure that those who are affected by this, through no fault of their own, are taken care of and able to get through, what we hope, will be not too long of a suspension.”
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said in a statement: “Giannis has once again demonstrated his generosity, concern and willingness to act. He’s a real class act and truly an MVP-most valuable person.”
Peter Rickman, president of the Milwaukee Area Service and Hospitality Workers Organization, said his reaction to Antetokounmpo’s pledge was “Great.”
“That is one step forward. We need a comprehensive plan for all employees at the arena to have their income replaced, whether it’s a 30-day suspension of the NBA or longer, and that includes Bucks games as well as other events.”
Antetokounmpo’s pledge is not unique in the NBA. His $100,000 gift is identical to what Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love pledged Thursday to the workers in his home arena in Cleveland. The Cavaliers also are supporting their employees and said in a tweet Thursday they are paying hourly workers and event staff as if all the games are being played.
On Friday, Detroit Pistons forward Blake Griffin also made a $100,000 pledge and New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson made the grandest gesture, announcing he will cover the salaries of Smoothie King Center workers for the next 30 days.
“My mother has always set an example for me about being respectful for others and being grateful for what we have,” Williamson wrote in an Instagram post. “This is a small way for me to express my support and appreciation for these wonderful people who have been so great to me and my teammates and hopefully we can all join together to relieve some of the stress and hardship caused by this national health crisis.”
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban also said he planned to pay arena workers as if the suspended NBA games were actually taking place, and other teams such as the Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks have volunteered similar sentiments.
Antetokounmpo and the Bucks had the best record in the NBA when play was suspended because of coronavirus concerns. He’ll be eligible for a “supermax” extension after the season that would presumably make him the highest-paid player in NBA history, depending on how the salary-cap is affected by the current situation.
Finals and DNC?
The suspension of the NBA season might become a scheduling nightmare at the Fiserv Forum.
The Bucks hope to make a deep run in the playoffs, and possibly to the NBA Finals, but Milwaukee is hosting the Democratic National Convention in July.
Normally the NBA Finals ends in June but Lasry, who was very involved with bringing the DNC to Milwaukee, is confident the two events could work themselves out.
“It’s too early to know,” Lasry said of how the delay could impact the DNC. “If there’s anyone I trust to handle something like this and to figure out the best possible situation, it’s commissioner Silver. I think he’s proven time and time again that he’s one of, if not the best, commissioner in all of sports.”
JR Radcliffe can be reached at (262) 361-9141 or jradcliffe@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JRRadcliffe.Bill Glauber of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.