Fiserv Forum may be new, but Ersan Ilyasova feels right at home back in Milwaukee

Matt Velazquez | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Nearly everything has changed for the Milwaukee Bucks since the summer of 2005 when Ersan Ilyasova joined the team as the 36th pick in the NBA draft.

The Bucks' purple jerseys were shelved for a return to green and red. Coaches came and went. The team was sold to an investment group led by Wes Edens and Marc Lasry. Again the uniforms changed, introducing cream and hints of blue to the color palette. The Bucks moved out of their shabby practice facility at the Cousins Center for some pristine new digs at their downtown Sports Science Center.

Next up came the most notable change of them all, the construction and completion of Fiserv Forum, where the Bucks will play their first regular-season game at 7:30 p.m. Friday against the Indiana Pacers.

Ilyasova wasn't there for all of those changes, bouncing around to five different teams after being traded by the Bucks in the summer of 2015. He returned as a free agent this past summer and even after all the developments, one thing stayed constant for the 31-year-old forward from Turkey.

"I consider Milwaukee my home because my NBA career started here and I spent eight years," said Ilyasova, whose family kept up residence in the city even after he moved on. "A lot of good (memories), bad memories also. To be back to this point is huge for me."

For most of Ilyasova's first two stints with the Bucks -- the 2006-'07 season then from 2009-'15 after two years playing in Spain -- there was no hint of the transformation coming to the Bucks franchise down the road. The Bucks had an agreement with the Cousins Center that ran past 2025, there were no plans to leave the BMO Harris Bradley Center and the team itself was stuck on the treadmill of mediocrity.

The first hints of the sweeping changes, especially those of the construction variety, came in the last year of Ilyasova's time with the Bucks after the team's change in ownership. While those in Milwaukee watched the new practice facility and Fiserv Forum go up in real time, Ilyasova only saw the updates as a visiting player.

Now, back in the fold with the Bucks, he can see first-hand how far things have come. Instead of the cramped, dark halls of the Cousins Center, the team now has a palatial practice facility customized to their needs.

Instead of dressing in one of the league's smallest home locker rooms at BMO Harris Bradley Center, complete with game operations people walking through what should have been exclusive player spaces, the Bucks now have an expansive locker room at Fiserv Forum with amenities that rival any you'll find around the league. Player input helped shape every aspect of the team areas at Fiserv Forum, making it perfectly suited to their needs.

“It’s big-time," Ilyasova said. "With the practice facility and the arena, the organization just stepped up as far as upgrading those things. … I think the fans are going to appreciate it as well.”

As important as the chance to come home to Milwaukee and the new facilities were, those weren't the only reasons Ilyasova decided to sign a three-year, $21 million contract this summer. There were other comforts that made the Bucks the right team for this time in his career, including reuniting with Mike Budenholzer, who was his coach in Atlanta as recently as last season.

“I pretty much know what the system is – I was with Coach Bud in Atlanta, so I kind of know what his expectations are," Ilyasova said. "Being a teammate with Giannis (Antetokounmpo) and Khris (Middleton) before we kind of know each other from there. … I feel really great about the situation. The team, when you look at it, has a lot of talent.”

Despite missing most voluntary preseason open gyms due to his commitments with the Turkish national team, Ilyasova has been able to hit the ground running. That comes thanks in large part to his experience in Budenholzer's system and pre-existing chemistry with players like Antetokounmpo, Middleton and John Henson.

In Milwaukee's final preseason game, Ilyasova was the first man off the bench in both halves. That was also the case in the season opener in Charlotte on Wednesday, when he played 29 minutes -- the most of any non-starter -- and anchored the Bucks inside against the Hornets' small-ball lineup down the stretch. He finished with 13 points on 6 of 9 shooting and nine rebounds, taking one of his signature charges to boot.

The Bucks expect to count on Ilyasova in that sixth-man role during the season. His three-point shooting provides valuable space, especially around Antetokounmpo, and his rebounding and defensive savvy are traits that can't be overlooked.

As much as things have changed both for the Bucks and Ilyasova over the years, what Ilyasova offers on the court in a supporting role has stayed the same. The venues may be different, but Ilyasova's happy to be plying his new -- and former -- home once again.

"This year I’ve found my way back to Milwaukee and I’m really excited to be back," he said.