Peter Feigin, who just stepped down as president of the Milwaukee Bucks and Fiserv Forum, talked about his plans for the future following a festive yet emotional ceremony at Fiserv Forum on Thursday during which Mayor Cavalier Johnson presented him with a key to the city.
“I will move back to New York for a while to be with my kids and my mom, which I’m very excited about, but I will always have a presence in Milwaukee,” Feigin says. “I’ve got a lot of personal and professional investments, as well as some board and work commitments, which will keep me attached to the city.”
For now, Feigin is serving in a transitional role, assisting his successor, Josh Glessing.
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What’s next for Feigin once Glessing gets up to speed?
“I don’t know, but something fun, something great, something I can dig my teeth into,” he says. “I really get a kick out of building and rebuilding and really focusing on growth. And I’m very excited to kind of explore.”
Feigin said he’ll leave Milwaukee a changed man.
“This is a city where you’ve got to build trust and you’ve got to say what you’re going to do and then do it,” he says. “And I’m a big, loud, fast mouth, and maybe I’ve learned to calm down a little bit and really listen and forge relationships. This whole accomplishment was done on relationships and connections and how to build trust, publicly and privately, and within our team and within our business. It was a really a learning process for me to understand how do we put a team together that can accomplish great things.”
Speaking of team, Feigin addressed the ongoing speculation that franchise superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, who led the Bucks to the NBA crown in 2021, the franchise’s first championship in 50 years and just the second ever, won’t be with the Bucks much longer, whether through a trade at this season’s deadline or during an off-season deal.
Antetokounmpo has spent his entire 13-year career in Milwaukee, has twice been named the league’s Most Valuable Player and earned NBA Finals MVP.
“It’s a controversial time for everybody but him, me and everybody who knows who he is,” Feigin says of Antetokounmpo, who attended Thursday’s ceremony, seated near Feigin’s family. “This has been going on for a year. I was on with some NBA media this morning, and I said there should be a statute of limitations. The five or 10 global superstars in the league get talked about all the time. If it happens, when it happens, if it doesn’t happen, I still think the Bucks are on the same course. The owners are very engaged and they’re not happy with the current performance. We want to improve and we want to win.”
Entering play on Thursday, the Bucks sat in 12th place in the Eastern Conference with an 18-27 record and in danger of not making the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 season. Antetokounmpo has been plagued by calf injuries this season and is currently sidelined for several weeks.
“I’d like to say, how do we knock out the noise, you know? if you asked him, he’s focused on rehab. All he cares about is getting back on the court,” Feigin says. “And the one thing that’s undeniable, this is his home. This is what he loves. There’s a connection that just doesn’t happen in any pro sports like Giannis has to this city. It just doesn’t exist. It’s a special, special thing.”
Feigin will leave Milwaukee with the Bucks looking to return to championship form and some unfinished business in Deer District, he said.
“I think there’s always growth, so my hope is that the district evolves even more in the next 10 years,” he says. “The global brand platform of the Bucks is this great, small city that represents fans around the world. This is a brand and team dear to my heart, so I just want to see it grow.”
Feigin repeatedly fought back tears during Thursday’s ceremony, which drew hundreds of people.
“I promise to keep supporting this city with gratitude, passion and love,” he said. “Thanks for you allowing me to be part of this city’s story.”
