CBS 58's Hometown Athlete: Milwaukee remains former Buck Pat Connaughton's 'home away from home'

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- "It's Kon's homecoming. I adopted his home for a seven-year period. And obviously still consider it home away from home," Hornets guard/former Buck Pat Connaughton says.

The first thing you notice at Hornets shootaround? Pat Connaughton helping super rookie Kon Knueppel. Yet Kon looks up to Planet Pat.

"He was 16, 17 when we won the championship," Connaughton says. "And I remember being a kid growing up in Boston, watching the Celtics at that age. You were a rabid sports fan so it's funny sometimes. We both look at each other and realized oh, like, yeah, like this is what you remember in your childhood. And it makes me feel as old as...shh, so..."

Pat says it's more about the camaraderie and relationships he developed in Milwaukee, which were cemented by the 2021 NBA title.

"I was fortunate to be in one place for seven years. I was fortunate to win a lot of games here," Connaughton says. "And to help impact winning at a very high level and to win a championship. And all the different things, like, there'll always be, you know, that pull back and that tie back to Milwaukee."

Now, Pat stays tied to Milwaukee with real estate development and his Connaughton Courts for kids.

"I've always said I wanted to use my platform to do more," Connaughton says. "And when I was a kid growing up in Boston, and I assume much like Kon, who was a kid growing up here in Wisconsin, like, you idolize and if you have a dream to be an NBA player, you idolize the NBA players that are on the team that are playing for the team you're rooting for. And so, you know, I always said if I was fortunate to make it to this level, that I'd give back to, you know, the people and places that helped me get there. Or have helped me along the way. And obviously, Milwaukee has done a lot for me."