To many around the world, Giannis Antetokounmpo is already larger than life. Soon, he'll be three stories tall — as a mural in downtown Milwaukee.

Milwaukee artist and Bucks fan Mauricio Ramirez, who creates contemporary murals throughout the country, is painting a photorealistic three-story mural of Antetokounmpo on the east façade of the 600 EAST building, at 600 East Wisconsin Ave.

“This collaboration is a nod to one of the greatest basketball players in the game and what he has done and continues to do for our city," Ramirez said in a news release.

600 EAST's owner, Dan Nelson Jr., is a longtime Bucks supporter and season ticket holder. At a Wednesday preview for the mural, he said he's been talking for years with the Milwaukee Downtown Business Improvement District about using his building's wall as a canvas.

Bucks chief marketing officer Dustin Godsey said it was "an easy yes" when BID and Nelson approached the team with the Antetokounmpo mural idea a few weeks ago, and they then raced to put it together during the playoffs.

Ramirez has worked with the Bucks multiple times. One of the artist's other creations — a geometric-style guitar painting — is inside Fiserv Forum, Godsey said.

As a "huge sports guy," Ramirez said being able to merge art and sports together is his "jam."

For the Antetokounmpo mural, he's going for a photo-realistic look, which is different from his signature style of low poly and pixelated, he said.

For this project, Ramirez started by measuring the photo of Antetokounmpo out in segments. He gridded it out, then outlined and drew it. Next, he began plugging in colors, color matching and having fun with the paints, he said.

"I just want to make sure I get it right and give something to the residents of Milwaukee to be proud of and to continue to elevate the public art in the city," Ramirez said.

He began priming the wall on Saturday night. Since Monday, he's been painting for 12 to 14 hours a day. He also has assistance on-site from his friend Antonio Gomez.

Ramirez expects to have the mural finished by May 4 or 5, weather permitting.

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“Mauricio’s artistry showing Giannis figuratively looking forward — and literally toward downtown Milwaukee, the Deer District and his Fiserv Forum home court — seems fitting for a champion who has achieved so much yet continues to strive to improve every day," said Nelson, who's also president and CEO of Nelson Schmidt marketing and advertising agency, in the news release.

This is the second Milwaukee mural the Bucks have helped bring to life. In 2019, they commissioned artist and designer David Mark Zimmerman, aka Bigshot Robot, to create one — featuring an abstract deer and the phrase "fear the deer" — at Brix parking structure in Walker's Point.

Contact Hannah Kirby at hannah.kirby@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HannahHopeKirby.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Three-story Giannis Antetokounmpo mural painted in Milwaukee