MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Bucks star Bobby Portis launched his new podcast "Keep It A Buck" on Friday.
Portis celebrated the launch at No Studios with two of his longtime friends from Little Rock Arkansas, Dauoda Berete and Anthony Black.
According to our partners at the Milwaukee Business Journal, the podcast's name is derived from keeping it real or keeping it authentic with the podcast conversations along with the name of Portis' team, the Milwaukee Bucks.
The first guest was Portis' shooting coach, Chris Matthews, also known as "Lethal Shooter" in the NBA.
Portis, Black, and Berete have been in discussions on starting a podcast since the Bucks won the NBA championship in 2021, BizJournal reports. The three then spent the last few years developing the business skills to successfully launch "Keep It A Buck."
The podcast doesn't have a target audience, but Portis says he hopes African American children gravitate toward it. He also said he hopes that Black men that relate to him and have similar backgrounds are inspired.
"You can keep going. You keep believing in yourself that great things happen when you dedicate yourself and work hard," Portis said at the launch.
According to BizJournal, the next guest on the podcast is actor Everett Osborne. Osborne will portray Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, the first African American to sign an NBA contract, in the upcoming film "Sweetwater." Portis is also starring in the film and plays Earl Lloyd, the first African American player to play a game in the NBA.
Portis previously told TMJ4 News, "I'm just grateful... it's going to be a great film. Three pioneers of the game. Black pioneers at that, that helped be the first three guys that played in the league. The film is just gonna be great, especially for kids that don't know the game like that and the history of the game and we're just bringing it back."
Notable actors Kevin Pollack, Richard Dreyfuss, and Jim Caviezel will also star in Sweetwater. Sweetwater will premiere in US theaters on April 14.
Bucks' Bobby Portis gets ready for Sweetwater movie star turn
Lance Allan, March 7, 2023
MILWAUKEE — "I always had a passion for acting," Bobby Portis says. "I always been able to...Act and portray guys and I can mimic guys' voices and things like that."
The Bucks forward will be in the movie Sweetwater, which comes out on April 14.
"It was kind of funny," Portis says. "During the playoffs last year, they kind of hit my manager up about me being in it. I obviously had intentions of being in the NBA Finals last year. We got knocked out May 15. And three days after they called back and they're like, hey, are you still interested in it? And I'm like hell yeah!"
Portis will play Earl Lloyd, the first African American to play in an NBA game. Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton was the first African American to sign an NBA contract.
"I'm just grateful," Portis says. "But it's going to be a great film. Three pioneers of the game. Black pioneers at that, that helped... Be the first three guys that played in the league. And the film is just gonna be great. Especially for kids that don't know the game like that and the history of the game and we're just bringing it back."
As far as acting chops? Portis loves doing imitations. Just not for public consumption.
"Talking in like TA (Thanasis) voice sometimes, I talk in Giannis voice sometimes," Portis says. "Like I talk in their voices so it's kind of cool just to like have fun and just be yourself."
TMJ4's Lance Allan asked Portis if he could give us an impersonation.
"Ah, what can I do?" Portis says. "Let's see, I can do, my boy. No, I'm not going to do him like that. I'm not going to do TA like that. I won't do him like that. I won't do him, I don't want this to go viral!"
Portis will act in the Sweetwater movie along with notable actors Kevin Pollack, Richard Dreyfuss, and Jim Caviezel.
