Bucks Open a New Chapter as Fans and Team Leaders Look Past Roster Overhaul

The Milwaukee Bucks are starting a season that looks very different from recent ones, and fans across the city are deciding how they feel about a retooled roster and a new direction for the franchise.

Milwaukee opens its schedule Wednesday in Washington. The team then returns to Fiserv Forum to host the Chicago Bulls in its home opener Friday at 3 p.m.

The most visible change is who is no longer on the roster. Franchise star Giannis Antetokounmpo and fan favorite Bobby Portis have both departed. Taylor Jenkins is the team's new head coach, and the lineup now includes players such as Tyler Herro.

For some supporters, the turnover has not weakened their loyalty. Fan Jeffery Jr. said he plans to keep watching. "I'm not going to turn my back on my team," he said. He called the moment "a new age, a new building block," and said bringing Herro back to the city "feels great."

Still, he acknowledged the loss stung. He compared the departures to spending 15 years raising a champion, even a horse or a dog, and then having to give it up to a competitor. "It hurt," he said. He added that sticking with the team means accepting its highs and lows, saying, "You don't deserve to be here when we win the next championship if you can't handle it now."

Josh Glessing, president of the Bucks and Fiserv Forum, said the organization wants to show fans what the team can do after it missed the playoffs last season. "That's not acceptable to anyone within the organization," he said. He described the goal as to "compete, get better and to do it together," and said no one will be able to say this year that the team is not giving its best effort.

Glessing pointed to Herro's leadership and to the role Myles Turner plays in showing younger players what it means to be a veteran. "There's a breath of fresh air with these guys, and we have to set the tone," he said.

Viewers will also see a change in how games reach them. Glessing said non-nationally televised games will air over the air in Wisconsin, bringing back full-season over-the-air coverage for the first time in 31 years.

Inside Fiserv Forum, fans can expect expanded in-game entertainment and a broader food selection. Marlene Duke, senior executive chef for Fiserv Forum and Deer District, said the organization reviewed guest feedback when adding more dessert options to the menu.

Milwaukee resident Robert Zollicoffer said he is approaching the season with optimism. He said management could have done some things differently to put the team in a better position, but he is hopeful the Bucks will be pretty good. He still plans to attend games, though he hopes ticket prices come down.