Milwaukee Bucks

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The Bucks played their first NBA regular-season game in October 1968 against the Chicago Bulls before a Milwaukee Arena crowd of 8,467. Their first victory came in their sixth game as the Bucks beat the Detroit Pistons 134–118. In 1969–70, with the addition of Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), the Bucks finished 56–26, second-best in the league behind the New York Knicks. The 29-game improvement was the best in league history at the time. The Bucks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals, then lost to the Knicks in five in the Eastern finals. The following season, after trading for Oscar Robertson, the Bucks finished 66–16, still a franchise record, and recorded a then-NBA record 20-game win streak. They won their first NBA championship on April 30, 1971, sweeping the Baltimore Bullets in four games. In 1972, Alcindor publicly announced his name change to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The Bucks reached the division/conference finals for the third year in a row but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. In 1973, they recorded their third consecutive 60-win season, the first NBA team to do so. They returned to the NBA Finals in 1974, losing to the Celtics in seven games. After the 1974–75 season, Abdul-Jabbar was traded to the Lakers. In 1977, the Bucks drafted Kent Benson, Marques Johnson, and Ernie Grunfeld. Sidney Moncrief made his debut in 1979. Don Nelson won two NBA Coach of the Year awards with the Bucks, in 1983 and 1985. In 1980, the Bucks traded Benson to the Detroit Pistons for Bob Lanier and won the Midwest Division title. They then moved to the Eastern Conference's Central Division. In the 1980s, the Bucks won six straight division titles. In 1983, they became the first team in NBA history to sweep the Boston Celtics in a best-of-seven playoff series. They also met and defeated Michael Jordan in a playoff series during his rookie year.

In Their Own Story

The arena air hung heavy with tension during a crucial matchup on March 4, 2018. Portis, then with the Bulls, found himself facing his future team, the Bucks. He scored 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a hard-fought 115–109 win over Milwaukee, setting a new career high at the time. The intensity of this game foreshadowed the roles both players would play in the league's future. Years later, on April 22, 2022, the script had changed. Portis, now wearing green and cream for Milwaukee, dominated his former team. In a decisive first-round playoff Game 3, he posted a double-double with 18 points and 16 rebounds as the Bucks crushed Chicago 111–81. These moments encapsulate the shifting tides of power between the two cities, where today's star for one franchise was yesterday's opponent for the other.

Reader's Guide

The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team in the NBA. They play in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. Their home arena is Fiserv Forum. The team was founded in 1968. Notable players include Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Damian Lillard. The Bucks have won NBA championships in 1971 and 2021.

Did You Know?

• The Bucks are the only NBA team to have won a championship in both the Eastern and Western Conference.
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the only players to win Finals MVP for the Bucks.
• The Bucks recorded a then-NBA record 20-game win streak during the 1970–71 season.
• In 1983, the Bucks became the first team to sweep the Boston Celtics in a best-of-seven playoff series.