Bobby Portis has become a beloved fixture in Milwaukee, bringing his relentless energy and tenacity to the Bucks franchise since 2020. This season marks a notable shift for the veteran forward, as he transitions from being part of one of the NBA’s oldest rosters to becoming a key voice on a much younger team.
With six years in Milwaukee and turning 31 next year, Portis is navigating a unique space between being a “young guy” and an established “big bro” leader. We sat down with the former NBA Champion to discuss the evolution of his role, the vast differences in today’s NBA pace compared to when he entered the league, and the contrasting yet similar championship mentalities of two superstars he’s shared the court with: Dwyane Wade and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
In our chat with Portis in the ScoopB.com, blog, he offered insight into how the game has changed from a “floppy league” to a high-speed isolation fest, underscoring the constant need for veteran adaptation.
His journey from Chicago to Washington and New York and finding stability and a title in Milwaukee, provides a rich backdrop for his perspective on the league’s past and present.
More with Bobby Portis in our Q&A:
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: How is this year different for you as opposed to last year?
Bobby Portis: I think now just trying to take everything with a grain of salt. Obviously totally different team the years past. Went from the oldest team last year to top ten youngest team. So just being more of a veteran leader, leading my voice, using my voice, talking, helping as much as I can, and bringing energy every day. That doesn’t change. I just think the leadership has evolved over the years since being here, especially since my first season here in 2020 and sixth year here now with the Bucks. So every year, ask you to do something different and just making the making the right adjustment.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: You’ve been an old soul forever going back to your time with the Bulls when you were teammates with Dwyane Wade all the way to the Knicks. You find your way to the NBA Finals with the Bucks and now you’re still here. You’re 30 now. Can we officially say that you’re no longer a YN and with your experience in the league that you’re actually an old soul now?
Bobby Portis: I don’t know man. I’m in that tough middle part, man. So I just turned thirty last year, turning thirty one in February, so I don’t know man. I don’t wanna be a YN, I don’t wanna be a big bro. I don’t wanna be none of that. I’m right there in the middle.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: How do you feel the game has shifted from when you started in the league to now?
Bobby Portis: When I first started in the league, it was more of a floppy league. Floppy guys turn down in the post. Guards cut off of the bigs, catch it out there, got shots, throw it into the post, work off the post. Now it’s more of a lot of isolation, a lot of guys shooting early shots on the shot clock. Basketball in 2015 was slow. If you scored 110, you probably won the game. Now, 110 ain’t ain’t ain’t enough now. So it’s definitely more of an up tempo type of pace. Everybody’s pushing the pace. Most guys that get the rebound now are pushing it. So the game evolves and the game asks you to do different things.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: You’ve been teammates with stars, Giannis and Dwyane Wade come to mind off the bat. When I talk to star role players such as yourself, they often talk about how superstars carry themselves, the habits and things that they do. From your perspective, what’s similar and what’s different about Dwayne Wade and Giannis Antetokounmpo?
Bobby Portis: I would say similar in just their approach, wanting to be great, the direct dialogue that you get from them, wanting to do certain things on the court, especially every guy on the team obviously has a role. To kind of help the star in different roles. Maybe maybe that’s spacing, maybe that’s setting the screen where it is. So I think that their intent is the same. And then what makes them different is obviously Giannis is a one-on-one type of player. Not many guys are like him. He gets the ball off of the rim, pushes it, puts pressure on the rim, and gets to the line; things like that. He gets downhill. I think they both [Giammis and Wade] get downhill well, but obviously two different positions. Wade does a lot of Euro stuff too, just like Giannis, can finish off the top and stuff, but he’s more of that mid-post, post up, face up, get to the back down phase, things like that. Giannis is more of a transition, catch it, get you on your heels, make you play on your heels type of player. So two different types of games.
Brandon “Scoop B” Robinson: During Shaq’s prime, people say he was the most dominant. Many use that same phrasing for Giannis. I realize that it’s two different eras. From your perspective: What would Shaq look like in today’s era and what would Giannis look like in Shaq’s era?
Bobby Portis: Shaq would be a force in this era. It just kinda slows the game down though. When you need to dump it in, down low. It depends on the team’s playstyle, right? You know, guys nowadays like to get up and down the court and they sometimes forget about bigs standing down low, a lot of shooting and things like that. Shaq would probably yell at somebody for real to pass the ball or something like that. Giannis in his era probably would be different as well. They allow more hand checking, they allow more banging. So, I think they play in their right eras, for sure. I don’t know how it would be with Giannis in their era, you know, a lot of hand checking, they didn’t really call fouls like that. You see how they were doing Jordan going to the rim? So, I think they played in their right eras for sure. Giannis gets a lot of whistles now, though, especially playing in this era. You can’t really touch guys, so I think it suits him really well.
Portis’ reflection on the game highlights a central theme: the necessity of adjustment and evolution in a rapidly changing league. He’s a veteran who can still get up-and-down the court, yet possesses the “old soul” wisdom to see the game’s broader dynamics.
Whether he’s navigating the transition from old to young rosters, or comparing the dominant styles of Giannis Antetokounmpo and a prime Shaquille O’Neal, Portis provides the nuanced perspective of a championship-caliber role player.
The fact that he’s “in that tough middle part” of his career—not quite a YN, not quite a big bro—perfectly mirrors his ability to blend eras: he has the work ethic of an old school player but thrives in the modern, fast-paced NBA.
Bobby Portis continues to be the versatile heart of the Milwaukee Bucks, ready to lead, talk and bring the energy, regardless of how fast the league continues to spin.
