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The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They play in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The current franchise owner is U.S. Senator Herb Kohl.

History

The Milwaukee Bucks were formed in January 1968 when the NBA awarded a franchise to Milwaukee Professional Sports and Services, Inc. (Milwaukee Pro), a group headed by Wesley Pavalon and Marvin Fishman. In October, the Bucks played their first NBA regular season game against the Chicago Bulls before a Milwaukee Arena crowd of 8,467. On April 30, 1971, the Bucks won Game 4 of the NBA Finals over the Baltimore Bullets in Milwaukee 118-106, to win the NBA Championship. The championship was won faster than by any other expansion team in professional sports history (3rd season). In 1972, the Los Angeles Lakers had their record 33-game winning streak snapped by the Bucks during a nationally televised game, and in 1973 the Bucks recorded their third consecutive 60-win season, the first NBA team to do so. However, the Bucks pulled a mega-trade by sending Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the Lakers for Elnore Smith, Junior Bridgeman, Brian Winters, and David Meyers.

After the mega-deal, the Bucks brought with them several seasons in transition, but later on, most of these players would bear fruit. After being sold to cable television executive Jim Fitzgerald in 1977, the Bucks would enter in another era of greatness. It began with coach Don Nelson. In the 1977 draft, the Bucks drafted in Marques Johnson, Kent Benson, and Mark Grumfeld. Johnson would become a staple in the Bucks for years to come. Rookie Sidney Moncrief made his debut in 1979. In 1979, the Bucks also brought in veteran center Bob Lanier to fill in the hole left by the departure of Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar. They then won the Midwest Division title in 1980. After losing to Seattle in the Semifinals, the Bucks moved to the Eastern Conference's Central Division. There, they would win 6 straight division titles and have .500 seasons for the next 11 years. Within those years, the Bucks became perennial Eastern Conference contenders, primarily due to the strong play of Moncrief, Paul Pressey, Craig Hodges and the arrival of Terry Cummings, Ricky Pierce, and Jack Sikma from trades with the Los Angeles Clippers and Seattle respectively. Notable players who played for the Bucks in this era were Larry Krystkowiak, Randy Breuer, Paul Mokeski, among others.

In 1985, Milwaukee businessman (and now U.S. Senator) Herb Kohl bought the Bucks after fears that out-of-town investors could buy the team and move it out of Milwaukee. (In 2003, after considering selling the team, Kohl announced that he had decided against selling the Bucks to Michael Jordan and would "continue to own them, improve them and commit them to remaining in Wisconsin.")

In the 1988-89 season, after 20 years at the 11,052-seat MECCA (Milwaukee Arena, now U.S. Cellular Arena), the Bucks moved into the new 18,700-seat Bradley Center, located directly across the street from the MECCA in downtown Milwaukee. The Bradley Center was one of the first arenas in the country to be built with luxury suites. The Bradley Center was privately financed from a $90 million donation from Milwaukee businesswoman Jane Bradley Pettit in memory of her father.

To honor their 25th Anniversary in 1993, the Bucks changed their uniforms, replacing the cartoonish deer in favor of a more regal one. Also, red was replaced by purple.

From the 1994-95 season on, the Bucks were led by the strong offensive play of Glenn Robinson and power forward Vin Baker,who later left Bucks for a new deal with Sonics. The Bucks obtained Robinson with the first selection in the 1994 NBA Draft Lottery. With the steady addition of talent such as Ray Allen, Tim Thomas, and Sam Cassell, as well as the hiring of head coach George Karl, the Bucks grew to become an elite team in the Eastern Conference, winning the Central Division title in 2001. However, the Bucks lost Game 7 of the 2001 Eastern Conference Finals to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Behind the strong encouragement of George Karl, the Bucks acquired Anthony Mason in the 2001 offseason. Statistically this made the Bucks the team to beat in the Eastern Conference for the 2001-02 season. On the court and off, however, team chemistry was destroyed by the presence of Mason. The Bucks, who at the season's midway point were the number one seed in the Eastern Conference, began an unthinkable free-fall that was culminated with a loss to Detroit on the final night of the season that eliminated the Bucks from NBA playoff contention. The resulting fallout caused tension between the teams three stars and coach, resulting in the eventual trades of Glenn Robinson to Atlanta, Sam Cassell to Minnesota, and Ray Allen to Seattle along with the firing of Karl.

In the midst of the 2002-03 season, the Bucks traded Ray Allen to the Seattle SuperSonics for Gary Payton and Desmond Mason. The trade allowed for increased playing time for Michael Redd, and with Gary Payton in the backcourt, the Bucks finished the season with a 42-40 record and made the playoffs; however, the Bucks lost in the first round to the New Jersey Nets.

Following a disappointing 2004-05 season with a 30-52 record, the Bucks were placed in the NBA Draft Lottery. Despite only having a 6% chance for the first selection in the lottery, the Bucks won the first pick for the 2005 NBA Draft, which was used to select Andrew Bogut of the University of Utah.

On April 1, 2006 the Bucks set a new NBA record for the fewest team turnovers in one game when they committed just two turnovers in a 96-89 victory over the Indiana Pacers. Earlier that week, on March 28, they set a new NBA record with 11 3-pointers in a quarter, another new NBA record with 14 3-pointers in a half, and a team record with 18 3-pointers in a 132-110 shootout victory over the Phoenix Suns.

The Bucks finished the 2006 Regular Season with a loss to the Wizards, giving them a 40-42 record, dropping them to the 8th seed in the East. The Bucks lost to the Detroit Pistons, the defending Eastern Conference Champions, in the 1st round of the 2006 NBA Playoffs, winning the series 4-1. The Pistons also won the regular season series 3-1. Milwaukee had their only win in the playoff series when they beat Detroit 124-104 on April 29, 2006.

On June 28, 2006, the Bucks revealed a new color scheme as well as an updated logo. New uniforms will also be revealed at the start of the new season. The new colors revealed were dark red and forest green, returning the team to its original color scheme.

On June 30, the Bucks also made a strong move to acquire a power forward by trading starting point guard T.J. Ford to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for rookie of the year runner-up Charlie Villanueva. Villanueva is expected to start for the Bucks.

Season-by-Season Records

1968-69 27 55 .329 1969-70 56 26 .683 Won Division Semifinals
Lost Division Finals
Milwaukee 4, Philadelphia 1
New York 4, Milwaukee 1 1970-71 66 16 .805 Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Won NBA Finals Milwaukee 4, San Francisco 1
Milwaukee 4, Los Angeles 1
Milwaukee 4, Baltimore 0 1971-72 63 19 .768 Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals Milwaukee 4, Golden State 2
Los Angeles 4, Milwaukee 2 1972-73 60 22 .732 Lost Conference Semifinals Golden State 4, Milwaukee 2 1973-74 59 23 .720 Won Conference Semifinals
Won Conference Finals
Lost NBA Finals Milwaukee 4, Los Angeles 1
Milwaukee 4, Chicago 0
Boston 4, Milwaukee 3 1974-75 38 44 .463 1975-76 38 44 .463 Lost First Round Detroit 2, Milwaukee 1 1976-77 30 52 .366 1977-78 44 38 .537 Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals Milwaukee 2, Phoenix 0
Denver 4, Milwaukee 3 1978-79 38 44 .463 1979-80 49 33 .598 Lost Conference Semifinals Seattle 4, Milwaukee 3 1980-81 60 22 .732 Lost Conference Semifinals Philadelphia 4, Milwaukee 3 1981-82 55 27 .671 Lost Conference Semifinals Philadelphia 4, Milwaukee 2 1982-83 51 31 .622 Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals Milwaukee 4, Boston 0
Philadelphia 4, Milwaukee 1 1983-84 50 32 .610 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals Milwaukee 3, Atlanta 2
Milwaukee 4, New Jersey 2
Boston 4, Milwaukee 1 1984-85 59 23 .720 Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals Milwaukee 3, Chicago 1
Philadelphia 4, Milwaukee 0 1985-86 57 25 .695 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals Milwaukee 3, New Jersey 0
Milwaukee 4, Philadelphia, 3
Boston 4, Milwaukee 0 1986-87 50 32 .610 Won First Round
Lost Conference Semifinals Milwaukee 3, Philadelphia 2
Boston 4, Milwaukee 3 1987-88 42 40 .512 Lost First Round Atlanta 3, Milwaukee 2 1988-89 49 33 .598 Won First Round
Lost Conference SemifinalsMilwaukee 3, Atlanta 2
Detroit 4, Milwaukee 0 1989-90 44 38 .537 Lost First Round Chicago 3, Milwaukee 1 1990-91 48 34 .585 Lost First Round Philadelphia 3, Milwaukee 0 1991-92 31 51 .378 1992-93 28 54 .341 1993-94 20 62 .244 1994-95 34 48 .415 1995-96 25 57 .305 1996-97 33 49 .402 1997-98 36 46 .439 1998-99 28 22 .560 Lost First Round Indiana 3, Milwaukee 0 1999-2000 42 40 .512 Lost First Round Indiana 3, Milwaukee 2 2000-01 52 30 .634 Won First Round
Won Conference Semifinals
Lost Conference Finals Milwaukee 3, Orlando 1
Milwaukee 4, Charlotte 3
Philadelphia 4, Milwaukee 3 2001-02 41 41 .500 2002-03 42 40 .512 Lost First Round New Jersey 4, Milwaukee 2 2003-04 41 41 .500 Lost First Round Detroit 4, Milwaukee 1 2004-05 30 52 .366 2005-06 40 42 .488 Lost First Round Detroit 4, Milwaukee 1 Totals 1656 1428 .537 Playoffs 99 111 .471 1 Championship

Franchise Accolades

  • NBA Championships - 1: 1971
  • Conference Championships - 2: 1971, 1974
  • Division Championships - 13 (6 Midwest, 7 Central): 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1980 (all Midwest), 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 2001 (all Central)
  • Playoff Appearances - 25 Times: 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2006
  • All-time Win-Loss Record (regular season; as of the end of the 2005-06 season): 1656 wins, 1428 losses (.537 winning percentage)

Players of note

Hall of Famers

First overall picks

Not to be forgotten

Retired numbers

Coaches and Others

Current coaching staff

Coaching history

General manager history

Hall of Famers

  • Wayne Embry (Former general manager; inducted as a contributor. When he became GM of the Bucks in 1971, he was the first African-American to serve in that position in the NBA. He would later go on to be the NBA's first African-American team president with the Cleveland Cavaliers.)
  • K. C. Jones (Former assistant; inducted for his playing career with the Boston Celtics.)

Home arenas

External links

National Basketball Association teams | Milwaukee Bucks | 1968 establishments

ميلووكي باكز | Milwaukee Bucks | Milwaukee Bucks | Bucks de Milwaukee | Milwaukee Bucks | Milwaukee Bucks | מילווקי באקס | Milwaukee Bucks | ミルウォーキー・バックス | Milwaukee Bucks | Milwaukee Bucks

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Milwaukee Bucks".

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