Never in his wildest dreams did Milwaukee Bucks veteran Bobby Portis ever consider being a member of Team USA.
Portis, who was born in 1995, wasn’t even alive when the national squad formed arguably the greatest basketball team in the history of the sport when they fielded the famed Dream Team for the 1992 Olympics. Now, Portis is hoping to help this iteration of the national squad bring home yet another gold medal in the upcoming FIBA World Cup.
Bobby Portis Brought a Whole Crew for Team USA Stint
As it turns out, Portis brought a sizeable entourage with him for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The Americans have been traveling around the globe in preparation for the FIBA World Cup in the Philippines next week, and the Milwaukee Bucks big man decided to bring some of his family and closest friends with him for the trip.
Marcus McCarroll, Portis’ personal trainer turned “father figure,” is one of the first people on Portis’ entourage, which also includes practically everyone who’s close to him.
“Me personally, I take my same people with me everywhere I go,” Portis said, via Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “It’s always been my mom, my three little brothers, Marcus (and a few others). I don’t really have friends. My friends are family. Like, if you look at the people I hang around with, I don’t really have outside people who distract me. All my people are genuine people who have cared for me. They keep me sane, keep me chill. There are going to be highs and lows. Just because you make Team USA, you might play three minutes one game, you might play five. There’s 12 good guys on the team.
“So, having good people around you keeps you levelheaded and sane.”
Portis knows that this is probably the only time he’s going to be able to represent Team USA, so he’s making sure to make each moment count. What better way to do so than to share the experience with his family and friends? Needless to say, a gold medal at the end of the journey would be the cherry on top of their cake.
For More Wisconsin Sports:
Follow me on Twitter at @PaoloSongcoNBA, and follow us @WiSportsHeroics. Also, check out our Merchandise Here! Get 20% off with the code “WSH.” You can also reach out to Paolo Songco via email at pao.songco@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in ALL of Wisconsin sports, click here! Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers, Milwaukee Bucks, Wisconsin Badgers.
