P.J. Tucker grabbed the rebound off of a Devin Booker missed three, and dribbled the remaining seconds of Game 6 out. The final horn sounds, the red lights ignite, the clock hits triple zeroes. The Bucks have just become NBA Champions.

My goodness, the Bucks are NBA Champions! I drop to the ground, much like Giannis, with tears in my eyes. A moment he’d dreamed of, this team had dreamed, and worked so hard for, is the same dream I’ve dreamt all my life as well. Now, it was a reality.

The confetti fell, the champagne flowed (ask Pat Connaughton and Bobby Portis about that), as did the D’usse. (O.k. that was more me. Drink responsibly, folks.) A hard fought, earned celebration was underway.

All the pain of past playoffs shortcomings, all the slander from national media and unknowledgeable “fans”, did not matter anymore. Everyone now has to look up at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and the Bucks. (That’s what a reservation at the top of the mountain will do. Right, Ted Davis?)

I draw the parallels of the Bucks’ celebration, as my own, for this reason: we are connected. The Bucks fanbase and the team are intertwined and share a bond unlike any other team in the league.

There were 17,000 people in Fiserv Forum and another 101,000 people outside of it, in Deer District. Let’s not forget to mention the over 500,000 people that showed up and showed out for the championship parade days later.

There will be tough decisions ahead, and this team likely won’t look the same next season, but that’s next season. Bask in the glory of a championship earned and the enjoy the spoils of it.

Shed those tears of joy, knock back a couple beers, enjoy a little bit of the bubbly, pull receipts of those who slandered this team. Just be smart about it and enjoy it. Fully immerse yourself in the experience. It may be a once in a lifetime opportunity.