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NBA Finals thrills Milwaukee The Milwaukee Bucks’ appearance in the NBA Finals, for the first time since 1974, brought one of the world’s biggest sporting events to Fiserv Forum. With the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions, the arena has been packed during most of the Bucks’ long playoff run and massive crowds have gathered in the Deer District outside the arena for home and road Bucks playoff games, and the crowds got even larger for The Finals. The playoff crowds have been a huge boost to downtown bars, restaurants and hotels that were devastated by the pandemic. VISIT Milwaukee estimates each Bucks home game in the NBA Finals produces an economic impact of about $3.7 million. The NBA Finals also puts Milwaukee on the national and international stage, making up for some of the media attention the city missed out on when the 2020 Democratic National Convention, which was supposed to be held in Milwaukee, instead became a mostly virtual event due to the pandemic. — Photos shot by Maredithe Meyer
6 / BizTimes Milwaukee JUL 19, 2021
