Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo caused quite a stir Friday when he announced he became a shareholder of prediction market Kalshi.
One day after the Milwaukee superstar officially remained in Milwaukee following the NBA’s Feb. 5 trade deadline, he took to his X account to announce, “we all on Kalshi now.” Kalshi, a web-based prediction betting platform, allows users to wager on future events like political outcomes, cultural events and sports—like Antetokounmpo’s rumored next team that didn’t come to fruition at the deadline.
“Everyone is online,” his post read. “The internet is full of opinions. I decided it was time to make some of my own. Today, I’m joining Kalshi as a shareholder.”
We all on @Kalshi now pic.twitter.com/cCNGxfLWO8
— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) February 6, 2026
According to ESPN and the Associated Press, the partnership between Antetokounmpo and Kalshi includes help with live events and marketing. He will be forbidden from trading on markets related to the NBA according to the company’s release.
That didn’t stop NBA fans and personalities from making their feelings known about the partnership that comes right after the Bucks superstar was at the center of trade rumors throughout this year’s trade season.
A player in massive trade rumors owning part of a prediction market where people can bet on whether he gets traded is a MASSIVE conflict of interest.
This is so far beyond players doing sportsbook ads. https://t.co/DzxlTaiW7R
— Joon Lee (@joonlee) February 6, 2026
come on. https://t.co/i3kWF0YUBG
— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) February 6, 2026
https://t.co/yDCEolUXq1 pic.twitter.com/M2M4U6rfpC
— No Ceilings (@NoCeilingsNBA) February 6, 2026
Masterclass in image torching this year. https://t.co/28pzYw6V0P
— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) February 6, 2026
on top of the obvious shadiness of this, this is such a mind-boggling PR move. how did they think this would be received? what amount of money for a multimillionaire makes this worth it? https://t.co/mpvV6Oy4Sx
— Molly Morrison (@mollyhannahm) February 6, 2026
Oh BROTHER https://t.co/IzrKKzcMY6
— Esfandiar Baraheni (@JustEsBaraheni) February 6, 2026
Somewhere, Jontay Porter is screaming into the void https://t.co/xEPbQJnVGw
— Joe Viray (@JoeVirayNBA) February 7, 2026
Kalshi seems like the very last kind of company any pro athlete should associate with https://t.co/AjWaSKyWNb
— Duncan Smith (@DuncanSmithNBA) February 6, 2026
The controversial partnership comes at a time where the NBA is weathering a storm brought on by legalized sports gambling. In April 2024, former Raptor Jontay Porter was banned from the NBA for violating league rules by disclosing confidential information to sports bettors and limiting his own participation in one or more games for betting purposes. Heat guard Terry Rozier was federally indicted in October as part of an investigation into a wide sports gambling scheme. The NBA placed Rozier on unpaid leave after the indictment, but arbitrators recently ruled he must be paid his full $26.6 million salary for this season.
Antetokounmpo didn’t do anything wrong by committing to the partnership, and Kalshi claims it has guardrails in place to avoid any conflicts of interest as fans ran wild with conspiracies when the questionable move was announced Friday.
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