Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks: A legacy of championships and iconic players.
The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and play home games at Fiserv Forum. Former U.S. senator Herb Kohl was the long-time owner of the team, but on April 16, 2014, a group led by billionaire hedge fund managers Wes Edens and Marc Lasry agreed to purchase a majority interest in the team from Kohl, a sale which was approved by the owners of the NBA and its Board of Governors one month later on May 16. The team is managed by Jon Horst, the team's former director of basketball operations, who took over for John Hammond. The Bucks have won two league championships (1971, 2021), three conference titles (Western: 1971, 1974, Eastern: 2021), 18 division titles (1971–1974, 1976, 1980–1986, 2001, 2019–2023), and the 2023 NBA Cup. They have featured such notable players as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, Bob Dandridge, Sidney Moncrief, Bob Lanier, Terry Cummings, Glenn Robinson, Ray Allen, Michael Redd, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, and Damian Lillard among others. Abdul-Jabbar and Antetokounmpo have been named the NBA's Most Valuable Player while playing for the Bucks, for a total of five MVP awards. They both are also the only players to win Finals MVP for the franchise.
Quick Facts
- Division
- Central (Current); Midwest (Historical)
- Conference
- Eastern
- Notable connection
- Bob Lanier Trade (1980)
- Peak era
- 1970s Kareem Era vs. Pistons Rebuild
- Status
- Active Divisional Rivals
Lore & Background
The Bucks were founded in 1968 as an expansion team. A fan contest named the team, with the winning entry 'Bucks' referencing Wisconsin's official wild animal, the white-tailed deer. The Bucks' first season was a struggle, but they won a coin flip for the first pick in the 1969 draft, selecting Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). With Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson, the Bucks won their first NBA championship in 1971, sweeping the Baltimore Bullets. Abdul-Jabbar was traded to the Lakers in 1975. The Bucks later won division titles in the 1980s and returned to the NBA Finals in 2021, winning their second championship.
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