Milwaukee Bucks

Lore & Background

The Bucks were founded in 1968 after the NBA awarded a franchise to Milwaukee Professional Sports and Services, Inc., a group headed by Wesley Pavalon and Marvin Fishman. A fan contest named the team the Bucks, referencing Wisconsin's official wild animal, the white-tailed deer. The Bucks won their first NBA championship in 1971, sweeping the Baltimore Bullets in four games, becoming one of the fastest expansion teams to win a title. They won their second championship in 2021. Notable players include 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. Abdul-Jabbar and Antetokounmpo are the only players to win Finals MVP for the franchise. The Bucks are the only NBA team to have won a championship in both the Eastern and Western Conference.

In Their Own Story

The Fiserv Forum smells like floor wax and cold Wisconsin air. You are in the lower bowl, row K, and the Bucks' warm-up is already a statement: Giannis stretching his arms above the rim, the crowd a low, rolling hum. The Pacers tip off, and for six minutes it looks even. Then the pick-and-roll comes, and every time it does, the Bucks' switch is a half-second faster, the closeout a half-step tighter. You watch your own guard get buried in a screen, hear the soft thud of a Giannis layup, and feel the floor vibrate under your sneakers. The scoreboard says 34-28. You are in Milwaukee. You are in row K. And you know, with the particular exhaustion of a fan who has seen this exact sequence four times this season, that the next one is coming in Indianapolis, and it will look almost the same.

Reader's Guide

The Bucks have a rich history, including the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar era (1969–1975), during which they won their first championship and recorded a then-NBA record 20-game win streak. After Abdul-Jabbar was traded in 1975, the team transitioned through the 'Green 'n Growing' era under coach Don Nelson, winning division titles in the 1980s. The Sidney Moncrief era (1979–1990) saw six straight division titles and perennial playoff contention, though the Bucks did not reach the NBA Finals again until 2021. The team's colors were originally forest green, deep red, and white; red was eliminated in 1985.

Did You Know?

• The Bucks have won two NBA championships: in 1971 and 2021.
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the only players to win Finals MVP for the Bucks.
• The Bucks are the only NBA team to have won a championship in both the Eastern and Western Conference.
• The team's name was chosen from a fan contest; the winning entry was 'Bucks,' referencing Wisconsin's white-tailed deer.