Giannis Antetokounmpo is now a shareholder of Kalshi.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Not everyone is happy about it.<\/p>\n
The Bucks\u2019 star announced a partnership with the fast-growing prediction market Friday to much fanfare.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone is Online. The internet is full of opinions. I decided it was time to make some of my own,\u201d Antetokounmpo wrote in a post on social media. \u201cToday, I\u2019m joining Kalshi as a shareholder.\u201d<\/p>\n
Antetokounmpo\u2019s newest business venture comes just days after the Bucks held onto the two-time NBA MVP through the trade deadline<\/a> \u2014 and Kalshi offered such a betting market.<\/p>\n In the days leading up to the Feb. 5 cutoff, Antetokounmpo\u2019s name was the biggest name on the market, and it appeared at times that he would force a trade out of Milwaukee.\u00a0<\/p>\n Instead, he stayed put, and gave some mixed signals on social media after it was clear he was staying with the Bucks, posting a clip on both Instagram and X accounts<\/a> from \u201cThe Wolf of Wall Street,\u201d where Leonardo DiCaprio shouts, \u201cI\u2019m not f\u2013king leaving. The show goes on. This is my home. They\u2019re gonna need a f\u2013king wrecking ball to take me outta here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLegends don\u2019t chase. They attract,\u201d the post\u2019s caption reads, despite the superstar seemingly nudging the team for a trade.<\/p>\n As trade rumors swirled, more than $23 million was put down<\/a> speculating on Antetokounmpo\u2019s future at Kalshi.\u00a0<\/p>\n On a market title \u201cGiannis Antetokounmpo\u2019s next team?\u201d, his chances to stay in Milwaukee were below 30 percent at times in December.\u00a0<\/p>\n Milwaukee Bucks\u2019 Giannis Antetokounmpo smiles during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026, in Milwaukee. AP<\/p>\n As recently as Feb. 3, two days before the deadline, Antetokounmpo was around just 38 percent to remain with the Bucks.\u00a0<\/p>\n Those who bought the rumors got burned, and although there\u2019s no proof or indication Antetokounmpo did anything dishonest, the perception set off an outcry.<\/p>\n \u201cA player in massive trade rumors owning part of a prediction market where people can bet on whether he gets traded is a MASSIVE conflict of interest,\u201d sports journalist Joon Lee, who has reported extensively on sports betting and prediction markets, wrote on X<\/a>. \u201cThis is so far beyond players doing sportsbook ads.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnnouncing a partnership with a prediction market after weeks of creating trade speculation is certainly a choice,\u201d X user @InvertTheWing wrote on the platform.<\/p>\n Kalshi announced a major partnership with Giannis Antetokounmpo this week. SOPA Images\/LightRocket via Getty Images<\/p>\n Antetokounmpo\u2019s stake is less than 1 percent of the company, according to The Block<\/a>, meaning he is below the threshold set under the NBA\u2019s Collective Bargaining Agreement for partnerships with betting and prediction market companies.<\/p>\n He is also \u201cforbidden from trading on any NBA markets and markets involving him personally,\u201d per the outlet.\u00a0<\/p>\n Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks warms up before the game against the Indiana Pacers on February 6, 2026 at Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n