Giannis Antetokounmpo, the star player of the Milwaukee Bucks, has taken on a shareholder role at Kalshi—a leading prediction market that offers a broad range of sports trading opportunities.
Antetokounmpo announced the partnership this past Friday.
“The internet is full of opinions. I decided it was time to share some of my own,” Antetokounmpo posted on . “Today, I’m joining Kalshi as a shareholder.”
Kalshi stated that Antetokounmpo is the first basketball star to become a shareholder with the company. The partnership will include support for live events and marketing efforts.
“Giannis is a legend,” Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour said in a press release. “He’s exactly the kind of long-term partner we want to align our growing brand with, and we couldn’t be more pleased he’s on board.”
Antetokounmpo was the focus of ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. However, the Bucks chose to retain the two-time MVP.
In the days leading up to the deadline, Kalshi shared several posts on highlighting its event contracts related to Antetokounmpo’s trade market and the fluctuating odds linked to teams believed to be in the running for his services.
According to Kalshi’s release, Antetokounmpo will be prohibited from trading on markets connected to the NBA. Messages were sent Friday seeking additional details from Kalshi and comment from the NBA.
“I love the Kalshi markets and have been checking them frequently lately,” 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 get involved.”
Antetokounmpo—who hasn’t played since on Jan. 23—had already left by the time the Bucks opened their postgame locker room to media after their victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday.
The 31-year-old Antetokounmpo is also part of the ownership groups for baseball’s Milwaukee Brewers and Major League Soccer’s Nashville SC.
Prediction markets offer an opportunity to trade—or wager—on the outcomes of future events. They first rose to prominence in politics, but their array of typically yes-or-no questions covers everything from weather forecasts to the Oscar for Best Picture.
These markets are made up of event contracts, with prices tied to what traders are willing to pay—this theoretically reflects the perceived probability of an event occurring. The buy-in for each contract ranges from $0 to $1, representing a 0% to 100% chance of the outcome traders anticipate.
When the U.S. captured last month, an anonymous trader on Polymarket—another prediction market—earned more than $400,000 after betting that Maduro would soon leave office, due to the timing of the wagers and the trader’s focused activity.