Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo joins Kalshi as shareholder - ESPN

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has become a shareholder in Kalshi, a major prediction market with a wide array of sports trading opportunities.

Antetokounmpo announced the partnership on Friday.

«The internet is full of opinions. I decided it was time to make some of my own,» Antetokounmpo posted on social media. «Today, I'm joining Kalshi as a shareholder.»

Kalshi said Antetokounmpo is the first basketball star to join the company as a shareholder. The partnership includes help with live events and marketing.

«Giannis is a legend,» Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour said in a release. «He's exactly the type of long-term partner we want to align our growing brand with, and we couldn't be happier he's on board.»

Antetokounmpo was the subject of widespread rumors ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline. But the Bucks decided to keep the two-time MVP, who hasn't played since straining his right calf on Jan. 23.

In the days leading up to the deadline, Kalshi had several posts on X highlighting its event contracts on Antetokounmpo's trade market and the fluctuating odds connected to the teams believed to be in the mix for his services.

According to Kalshi's release, Antetokounmpo will be forbidden from trading on markets related to the NBA. Messages were left Friday seeking further details from Kalshi and comment from the NBA.

«I love the Kalshi markets and have been checking them often recently,» Antetokounmpo said in the company's release. «I like to win. It's clear to me Kalshi is going to be a winner and I'm excited to be getting involved.»

Prediction markets provide an opportunity to trade — or wager — on the result of future events. They rose to prominence in politics, but the array of typically yes-or-no questions