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Fans React to Bucks Unveiling Emirates NBA Cup Banner

Milwaukee celebrated its 2024 NBA Cup victory on Saturday at home.

Alex Kirschenbaum

Dec 21, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis (9) speaks during a presentation of the NBA Cup before a game against the Washington Wizards at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
Dec 21, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis (9) speaks during a presentation of the NBA Cup before a game against the Washington Wizards at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
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On Saturday night, surrounded by the friendly confines of Fiserv Forum, the Milwaukee Bucks celebrated their 2024 Emirates NBA Cup victory by unveiling their new championship banner in front of their homecourt fans.

Although the reception within the arena proper may have been warm, things proved decidedly icier on the social media platform X, a.k.a. the site formerly known as Twitter.

A Celtics fan clowned the Bucks as a "poverty franchise." Boston, in fairness, does lead Milwaukee 18-2 in NBA championships. The NBA Cup, a mid-season tournament that's over in seven games for the victor, doesn't have nearly the same kind of cache among fans, though it certainly doesn't signify nothing. MIlwaukee did go undefeated in NBA Cup play, including a blowout against the Oklahoma City Thunder, 97-81, in a poor-scoring title game.

Another NBA fan noted that Milwaukee was compelled to hang the banner as if it were a division, conference or NBA championship accolade, as opposed to just an NBA Cup award. The league had the same point of emphjasis last year, when the Los Angeles Lakers had to hang their banner, then for the In-Season Tournament, along with their 17 championship banners and retired jerseys.

This fan wasn't the only NBA appreciator with this particular theory:

The look of the banner also came under heavy scrutiny.

What looks to be a Luka Doncic appreciator mocked the banner as being a mere "participation trophy."

The Bucks were also clowned for being, well, clowns in commemorating the achievement.

Back to the game at hand.

Milwaukee currently leads the visiting Washington Wizards by double digits at the half of Saturday night's game, 63-50, even with All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard both sitting. Sixth man big Bobby Portis and newly recuperated point guard Ryan Rollins have been brought in to replace the Bucks' dynamic duo, while head coach Doc Rivers has also reinserted former three-time All-Star small forward Khris Middleton into his first five, finally demoting the hyper-efficient Taurean Prince to his bench. Middleton has seven points.

Portis leads all scorers with a whopping 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting (3-of-5 from deep) through two quarters. He's also going to be on triple-double watch for the rest of the night, as Portis already has six rebounds and five assists. Reserve swingman Gary Trent Jr. is Milwaukee's only other doubl-digit scorer, with 10 points.

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Alex Kirschenbaum
ALEX KIRSCHENBAUM

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