City of Milwaukee at the center of attention after Bucks win NBA Championship

MILWAUKEE (CBS58) -- Milwaukee is in the national spotlight. This, after the Milwaukee Bucks pulled off the biggest win in 50 years. The 

"Money could not buy all the attention that this team has brought to this community," Claire Koenig said. She is the communications director for Visit MKE.  

Koenig says the team's home games brought in over $36 million. 

"That's a very conservative estimate, we knew this was a huge economic boost."

"I can't remember an event that had this sort of energy and this sort of national attention focused on Milwaukee," Steve Baas said. He is the senior vice president of government affairs for Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce. 

"It gives Milwaukee an opportunity to change perception," said Baas. 

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett said the city continues to prove itself to the world.

"When we've had an opportunity to be on the stage, we shine," Barrett said. 

The team's win also means people who've never traveled to Wisconsin will now have a good reason to.

"We are the 'it' place right now and it's just going to be great to watch new travelers to discover what we got to offer here," said Craig Trost, communications director for Travel Wisconsin.

Trost says the recovery of tourism has arrived, thanks to the Bucks.

"Hotel room nights are up, the traffic on the roads are up, we're blowing 2020 out of the water,' said Trost. 

Koenig says there's people who now see Milwaukee as an amazing place for sports-related travel.