Draft:History of the Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks are an American pro basketball team, competing in the National Basketball Association. The team has won two league championships (1971, 2021), three conference titles (Western: 1971, 1974, Eastern: 2021), and 18 division titles (1971–1974, 1976, 1980–1986, 2001, 2019–2023). 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, and Khris Middleton 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. The Bucks are the only team to have won a championship in both the Eastern and Western Conference.

1968–1969: Team creation
On January 22 1968, a franchise was awarded by the NBA to Milwaukee Professional Sports and Services (shortened to Milwaukee Pro), a group headed by businessmen Wesley Pavlon and Marvin Fishman. Over 40,000 fans participated in the contest to name the team, with the name Robins winning, however, the owners of the team decided to go with the second-most popular name, Bucks, in reference to Wisconsin's state wild animal, the white-tailed deer. A fan, R. D. Trebilcox, famously suggested the name, quoting that Bucks were "spirited, good jumpers, fast and agile". As an award for the part he played in the naming of the team, he was gifted a new car. After 13 years, an NBA franchise had returned to Milwaukee after the Hawks relocated to the city of St. Louis. On October 16th, 1968, the Bucks played their first NBA regular-season match, against the Chicago Bulls, before a meagre crowd of 8,467 people. They won only 27 games in the year.

1969–1975: The Kareem Abdul-Jabbar era
The Bucks faced off in a coin flip between their fellow expansion team of that year, the Phoenix Suns. By that point, the general consensus around the league was that Lew Alcindor would be selected as the first pick. While the Bucks won the first pick, they had to win a bidding war with the New York Nets of the rival American Basketball Association (ABA). They were successful, and drafted Alcindor with the first pick.

1970–1971: First Championship
In 1970 the Bucks acquired Oscar Robertson from the Cincinnati Royals in exchange for Flynn Robinson. Before the season, the Bucks switched to being a Western Conference team. Robertson and Alcindor were a dominant duo, leading the bucks to 66 wins for the year. During the year, they had a then-NBA record 20 wins in a row. Robertson led the team to their first title in 1971, sweeping the Baltimore Bullets in four games.

1971–1973: Loss in the Conference Finals
In beginning 1971-72 season the Bucks started with a 7-1 record.

In 1972, Alcindor announced his name change to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after he had privately converted to Islam. With Abdul-Jabbar and Robertson leading the way, the Bucks remained a powerhouse for the remainder of the early 1970s. The Bucks reached the Conference Finals for the third year in a row but were eliminated by the Los Angeles Lakers in a six-game series.

1973–1974: Conference Championship
In 1973, the Bucks recorded their third 60+ win season in a row, but suffered many injuries and recorded an early exit from the playoffs. Come 1974, the Bucks returned to the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. During Game 6, Abdul-Jabbar first made his iconic "sky hook' shot in an exciting double-overtime win. However, the Celtics won Game 7, and their efforts went unrewarded.

1974–1975: Missing the Playoffs
When Oscar Robertson retired the Bucks finished last in their division, a stark contrast to their successes in prior years.

1975–1979: Rebuilding
On June 16th, 1975 the Bucks traded Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Elmore Smith, Brian Winters and two rookies, Dave Meyers and Junior Bridgeman. The Bucks finished the 1975-76 season with a record 38-44 and won the division title; however the Bucks lost to the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs.

On November 13th 1976 the Bucks hired Don Nelson as the second head coach in franchise history.

In the 1977 NBA Draft the Bucks selected Kent Benson with the number one pick, Marques Johnson with the third pick and Ernie Grunfeld with the eleventh pick. The Bucks finished the 1977-78 season with 44-38 as their record, behind the Denver Nuggets.

1979–1989: The Sidney Moncrief era
On June 25th 1979 the Bucks selected Sidney Moncrief with the fifth pick in the 1979 NBA Draft. As well as this, the Bucks acquired Harvey Catchings and Richard Washington and 1978 3rd round draft pick Pat Cummings. The Bucks stared the 1979-80 season with a 29-27 record. On February 4, 1980 the Bucks acquired Bob Lanier from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Kent Benson and a first round pick. The Bucks finished the season with a record of 49-33 and won Division title for first time since the 1975-76 season. In playoffs the Bucks faced the defending champions, the Seattle SuperSonics. They lost in a close seven game series.

Before the 1980-81 season, the Bucks switched to being in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The Bucks won the division title for the second straight year but they lost against the defending Eastern Conference champion, the Philadelphia 76ers in seven games.

In 1981-82 season the Bucks won their third straight division title but they lost against the Philadelphia 76ers in six games.

In the offseason of 1982 the Bucks acquired Dave Cowens from the Boston Celtics in exchange for Quinn Buckner and they finished the season with a record of 51-31 and won their forth straight division title, in the playoffs the Bucks swept the Boston Celtics in four games but they lost against the Philadelphia 76ers in the Conference finals.

In the offseason of 1983 the Bucks signed guards Nate Archibald and Kevin Grevey, and they finished the season with a record of 50-32. In the playoffs the Bucks beat the Atlanta Hawks in the first round in five games then the Bucks beat the New Jersey Nets in the Conference Semifinals and before they eventually lost to that year's champion, the Boston Celtics in the conference finals.

In the offseason of 1984 the Bucks acquired Terry Cummings, Craig Hodges and Ricky Pierce for the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for Junior Bridgeman, Harvey Catchings and Marques Johnson, and the Bucks finished the 1984-85 season with a record of 59-23 and won division title for the sixth straight time in the last six seasons. In 1985 NBA Playoffs the Bucks beat the Bulls in four games of the first round and they lost against the Philadelphia 76ers in four games.

In the offseason of 1986 the Bucks acquired Jack Sikma from the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for Alton Lister.

In 1987 Del Harris was named as their new head coach. the Bucks started the 1987-88 Season without Moncrief in 17th games until he returns on December 11th 1987 when the Bucks played against the Portland Trail Blazers. In the trade period, the Bucks acquired Larry Krystkowiak from the San Antonio Spurs and Jay Humphries from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for Craig Hodges.

Before the 1988-89 season, the Bucks moved into their new arena, the Bradley Center, then acquired Fred Roberts from the expansion team, the Miami Heat and drafted Iowa State guard Jeff Grayer with the 13th pick.

1989–1994: Hard period for the team.
In the 1989 offseason, Sidney Moncrief retired after ten seasons with the team and Terry Cummings was traded to the San Antonio Spurs for All-Star guard Alvin Robertson and Greg Anderson. Early into the season, the Bucks defeated the Seattle SuperSonics in a quintuple-overtime game on November 9, 155–154 at the Bradley Center. In the trade period, the Bucks acquired Brad Lohaus from the Minnesota Timberwolves, an expansion team, in exchange for Randy Breuer. The Bucks finished Third in division and made playoffs. In the playoffs the Bucks lost against Chicago Bulls in four games.

In the 1990 offseason, the Bucks acquired Frank Brickowski from the San Antonio Spurs and Danny Schayes from the Denver Nuggets. The Bucks started the season on a strong note winning their first 18 home games on their way to a 25–8 start. However, they would lose ten of their next twelve games, and held a 30–19 record at the All-Star break. Sixth man Ricky Pierce and Alvin Robertson were both selected for the 1991 NBA All-Star Game; it was Pierce's only All-Star appearance. During the trade period, Pierce was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for Dale Ellis. In April, the team signed free agent and former All-Star forward Adrian Dantley, as Ellis went down with a lower back injury. The Bucks would make their 12th consecutive playoff appearance finishing third in the Central Division with a 48–34 record, while posting a 33–8 home record at the Bradley Center. However, without Ellis in the Eastern Conference First Round of the playoffs, the Bucks were swept by the 5th-seeded Philadelphia 76ers in three straight games.

In the offseason 1991, the Bucks signed free agent and former All-Star forward Moses Malone. After an 8–9 start to the season, head coach Del Harris resigned and was replaced with interim Frank Hamblen.

On May 11th, 1992, the Bucks hired Mike Dunleavy as their new head coach. On June 24 1992 the Bucks acquired Blue Edwards and second-year guard Eric Murdock from the Utah Jazz. Later that day, the Bucks selected 	Arkansas guards Todd Day and Lee Mayberry in the 1992 NBA Draft. The Bucks got off to a strong start, winning 10 of their first 13 games. However, they would struggle as they went on an 11-game losing streak in December, then posted a 7-game losing streak in January, and held a 20–31 record at the All-Star break. In midseason the Bucks traded away Alvin Robertson to the Detroit Pistons for Orlando Woolridge. The Bucks lost their final eight games of the season, finishing last place in the Central Division with a disappointing 28–54 record.

In the 1993 NBA Draft the Bucks selected Vin Baker with the eighth pick. In offseason the Bucks signed Ken Norman. The season began with struggled all season long posting a 10-game losing streak early into the season, and held a 14–34 record at the All-Star break.

1994–2003: The Glenn Robinson and Ray Allen era
In 1994 NBA Draft, the Bucks won the #1 pick and they selected "Big Dog" Glenn Robinson out of Purdue University. After the Bucks got 5–3 start to the season, the Bucks went on a nine-game losing streak between November and December.

In 1996 NBA Draft, the Bucks traded for the draft rights to Ray Allen with the Minnesota Timberwolves, in exchange for the draft rights to Stephon Marbury. The Bucks appeared to be on their way breaking out of the gate with a 15–11 start. However, they could not maintain that momentum as they slipped under .500, holding a 21–26 record at the All-Star break. The Bucks lost eight straight games between February and March and missing the playoffs sixth time in last sixth season with a 33–49 record.

On August 29th 1998 the Bucks hired former Seattle SuperSonics head coach George Karl as the next head coach of the team As well they signed Dell Curry and Vinny Del Negro in the offseason. During the trade period, the Bucks acquired Sam Cassell, Tim Thomas, Scott Williams and Chris Gatling from a four-team deal. The Bucks made the playoffs for the first time since 1991 but they lost to the Indiana Pacers in the first round in three games.

In the offseason, the Bucks acquired Danny Manning and Dale Ellis and signing J. R. Reid and Darvin Ham. After missing most of the previous season with an ankle injury, Sam Cassell played a full season as the Bucks won their first three games, and played above .500 in the first half of the season, holding a 26–24 record at the All-Star break. However, they struggled in February posting a 3–9 record as Ellis was traded to the Charlotte Hornets and Haywoode Workman was released to free agency and signed with the Toronto Raptors. With less than a month to go, the Bucks playoff chances appeared bleak as they had a 32–37 record in late March. However, down the stretch, they won 10 of their final 13 games to sneak into the playoffs as the #8 seed in the Eastern Conference, finishing fifth in the Central Division with a 42–40 record.

In 2000-01 season the Bucks won the division title for the first time since the 1985-86 season.

2003–2009: The Michael Redd era
In the summer of 2003, the Bucks hired Larry Harris as their next general manager. During the new era, Michael Redd blossomed into an all-star and a perimeter shooting threat, becoming the new "face of the franchise". The Bucks finished the season with a record of 41-41 and made the playoffs, and in the 2004 NBA Playoffs the Bucks faced off against the Detroit Pistons, losing in five games.

The Bucks received the first pick in the 2005 NBA draft, and used it to select center Andrew Bogut. In the offseason, the Bucks hired Terry Stotts as their new head coach. Stotts was under George Karl's coaching staff, and they signed former NBA Most Improved Player Bobby Simmons, and in October the Bucks traded Desmond Mason to the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for Jamaal Magloire. The Bucks Finished last place in Divison and made the playoffs but they lost to the Detroit Pistons in first round in five games.

In the 2007 NBA Draft the Bucks selected Chinese basketball star Yi Jianlian with the sixth pick.

On April 11th 2008 the Bucks hired former Detroit Pistons vice-president of basketball operations John Hammond as their next general manager of the team.

On April 17th the Bucks fired Krystkowiak after a full season, four days later the Bucks hired former Chicago Bulls head coach Scott Skiles as their new head coach.

On June 26th 2008 the Bucks acquired Richard Jefferson from the New Jersey Nets in exchange for Yi and Simmons. Later that day, the Bucks selected West Virginia's Joe Alexander with the eighth pick in the 2008 NBA draft. Alexander was the first Taiwanese-born player in the NBA, and they selected UCLA's Luc Richard Mbah a Moute with the 37th pick in the 2008 draft. Mbah a Moute was the second Cameroonian player in the NBA. In the 2008-09 season, the Bucks struggled with injuries to two key players, Redd and Bogut, and finished with a record of 34-48.

2009–2013: The Brandon Jennings era
In the 2009 NBA draft, the Milwaukee Bucks selected point guard Brandon Jennings, who had not gone to college but played in Italy the previous year. In the offseason, the Bucks made additions to the roster, such as Kurt Thomas, Carlos Delfino and Ersan İlyasova. The Bucks began the 2009–10 season with struggles with a record of 12-18 through December, then during the season, the Bucks signed Jerry Stackhouse, and in February the Bucks acquired John Salmons from the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Joe Alexander and Hakim Warrick, to replace the injured Michael Redd. The Bucks quickly fell behind the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Central Division, but Milwaukee ultimately clinched a playoff berth on April 6, 2010, with a road win over the Chicago Bulls. It was during that time that the phrase "Fear the Deer" started, most likely by ESPN commentator John Anderson. It was quickly adopted on message boards and within Andrew Bogut's Squad 6. In the 2010 NBA Playoffs the Bucks lost to the Atlanta Hawks in seven games in the first round.

2013–present: The Giannis Antetokounmpo era
Jim Boylan was relieved of his coaching duties and ex-Atlanta Hawks coach Larry Drew was hired. On June 27, 2013, the Bucks chose Greek forward Giannis Antetokounmpo with the 15th overall pick of the 2013 NBA draft. They also brought in O. J. Mayo, Carlos Delfino, Zaza Pachulia, and Gary Neal as well as seeing Monta Ellis opt-out of the final year of his contract. The Bucks also agreed to sign-and-trade Brandon Jennings to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Brandon Knight, Khris Middleton, and Viacheslav Kravtsov. The Bucks later extended their contract with Larry Sanders with a four-year, $44 million contract and traded Ish Smith and Kravtsov to the Phoenix Suns for Caron Butler. By the start of the 2013–14 season, the Bucks only had four players on their roster from the previous season. The season itself was a struggle, as the Bucks finished with the worst record in the league at 15–67, the worst record in team history.

On July 1st 2014, the Bucks secured the coaching rights for Jason Kidd from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for two second-round draft picks in the 2015 NBA draft and the 2019 NBA draft.

The Bucks finished the 2014–15 season with a 41–41 record. Their 26-game improvement from the previous season was the second-highest in franchise history. The Bucks made the 2015 NBA playoffs as the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference, where they faced the Chicago Bulls in the first round, losing in six games.

On July 6, 2015, Bucks president Peter Feigin stated if public funding for a new arena fell through, the NBA could have bought the team and moved it to Las Vegas or Seattle. Current Bucks owners Wes Edens, Marc Lasry and Jamie Dinan combined with Herb Kohl to pledge $250 million for a new arena and sought a match from the public. Of those funds, $93 million would come from the Wisconsin Center District in the form of new debt on Milwaukee citizens. The district would not commence repaying the bonds until 13 years thereafter.

On July 9, 2015, the Bucks confirmed their signing of center Greg Monroe to a three-year, $50 million contract. The Bucks also announced the club's re-signing of Khris Middleton to a five-year, $70 million contract.

On July 15, 2015, the future for the Bucks in Milwaukee was solidified after the Wisconsin State Senate voted 21–10 in favor of a proposal to use public money to help finance a replacement for the BMO Harris Bradley Center, which at the time was the third-oldest arena being used by an NBA team, behind Oracle Arena, and Madison Square Garden.

On the court, the young roster of the Bucks went through a step backward, to a 33–49 record in the 2015–16 season, though Giannis Antetokounmpo had an encouraging stretch in the final half of the season, accumulating 5 triple-doubles.

On June 18, 2016, ground was broken for the Bucks' new arena.

On September 19, 2016, the Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo agreed to a 4-year, $100 million contract extension. In addition, the team would add new young improvements to the roster in drafting Thon Maker and Malcolm Brogdon, and free agents of Matthew Dellavedova and Jason Terry, and made trades to bring in Tony Snell and Michael Beasley. When the 2016–17 season began, the Bucks were without Khris Middleton, who suffered a torn hamstring during a practice. Even so, the Bucks remained competitive, staying around .500 for the first half of the season, with both Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker leading the offense. While Parker missed making the All-Star team, Giannis was voted in as a starter, becoming the first Bucks All-Star since Michael Redd in 2004. In January, the Bucks slumped, though fans anticipated a turnaround with Middleton's return on February 8 against the Miami Heat. In the same game, however, Parker tore his ACL for the second time in 3 seasons, ending his season. Even so, Middleton's return still sparked a turnaround in March. During the month, the Bucks went 14–4, putting the team back in the thick of the playoff race. On April 8, 2017, the Bucks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 90–82, clinching the Bucks a playoff spot. On April 10, the Bucks beat the Charlotte Hornets 89–79 to clinch only the third winning season for the Bucks since 2001. The team finished the 2016–17 regular season with a 42–40 record. Giannis Antetokounmpo made history, becoming only the 5th player in NBA history to lead his team in all five major statistical categories, and was the first in NBA history to finish in the top 20 in the league in each category. The Bucks were the #6 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, and lost in the opening round to the Toronto Raptors, 4–2.

On May 17th 2018, the Bucks hired former Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer as their new head coach. On August 26, 2018, the Bucks' new arena, Fiserv Forum, opened to the public.

2020-2021: Second champion
During the offseason, the Bucks signed Giannis Antetokounmpo to a 5-year, $228 million contract extension, which is the most high-paying contract in NBA history. Along with resigning their franchise cornerstone, the Bucks also traded Eric Bledsoe and George Hill to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for a former All-Defense player in Jrue Holiday, which was a sound tactical move for the team. The Bucks also strengthened their bench by signing Bobby Portis and Bryn Forbes in free agency. In their 2020–21 season, the Bucks secured the third seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 46–26 in the COVID-19 shortened season, as well as a third Central Division title in a row. It was the third consecutive season the Bucks had a winning percentage of at least .600. This was the first time that the Bucks achieved this feat since 1984–86, during their glory days. During the season, the Bucks acquired P. J. Tucker to further strengthen their defensive capabilities in preparation for the playoffs.

In the 2021 NBA playoffs, the Bucks began by defeating the Heat in a four-game sweep in a continuation of the rivalry formed in the year before's Eastern Conference Semifinals. They then overcame the Brooklyn Nets (led by Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden) in seven games in the Conference Semifinals, culminating with a Game 7 victory in front of a hostile crowd at the Barclays Center. They then defeated the Atlanta Hawks in six games in the Conference Finals to secure their 3rd NBA Finals appearance in franchise history and their first since 1974. In the NBA Finals, the Bucks faced the Phoenix Suns, who were favored after defeating the defending champion, the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference first round. The Bucks came back from down 2-0 to win the NBA finals. Giannis Antetokounmpo was named Finals MVP after averaging 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks in the series including a series-winning 50-point performance in a 105-98 Game 6 victory at the Fiserv Forum.

2021-present: Successful seasons and playoff disappointment
In the 2023 offseason, the Bucks hired Adrian Griffin to replace Mike Budenholzer. On September 27, 2023, the Bucks acquired seven-time all-star point guard Damian Lillard in a 3-team trade, sending away Jrue Holiday. This addition in the side propelled the team to a 49-33 record in the 2023-24 season. On January 23rd, 2024, the Bucks fired their head coach, Adrian Griffin, and replaced him with Doc Rivers, despite Griffin guiding the team to a 30-13 record through the start of the season. The Bucks finished in the 3rd seed, behind the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks. In the first round of the playoffs, the Bucks lost to the Indiana Pacers in six games.