Milwaukee Bucks
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
team in
Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
. The Bucks compete in the
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...
(NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded in 1968 as an
expansion team An expansion team is a new team in a sports league, usually from a city that has not hosted a team in that league before, formed with the intention of satisfying the demand for a local team from a population in a new area. Sporting leagues also ...
, and plays at Fiserv Forum. Former
U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...
Herb Kohl Herbert H. Kohl (born February 7, 1935) is an American businessman and politician. Alongside his brother and father, the Kohl family created the Kohl's department stores chain, of which Kohl went on to be president and CEO. Kohl also served as a ...
was the long-time owner of the team, but on April 16, 2014, a group led by billionaire
hedge fund A hedge fund is a pooled investment fund that trades in relatively liquid assets and is able to make extensive use of more complex trading, portfolio-construction, and risk management techniques in an attempt to improve performance, such as sho ...
managers
Wes Edens Wesley Robert Edens (born October 30, 1961) is an American billionaire businessman and private equity investor. He is the co-founder of Fortress Investment Group and founder of New Fortress Energy. Edens is co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks NBA fran ...
and
Marc Lasry Marc Lasry (born September 23, 1959) is a Moroccan-American billionaire businessman and hedge fund manager. He is the co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Avenue Capital Group, and the co-owner of the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks basketbal ...
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 Jonathan Randall Horst (born April 16, 1983) is an American basketball general manager for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), appointed on June 16, 2017, and named NBA Executive of the Year on June 24, 2019. While ...
, the team's former director of basketball operations, who took over for John Hammond. The Bucks have won two league championships (
1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...
,
2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
), three conference titles (Western:
1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...
,
1974 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...
, Eastern:
2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
), and 19 division titles (1971–1974, 1976, 1980–1986, 2001, 2019–2024). 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 Michael Wesley Redd (born August 24, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player. He was drafted 43rd overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2000 NBA draft. He was born in Columbus, Ohio, where he attended West High School. He wa ...
,
Giannis Antetokounmpo Giannis Sina Ugo Antetokounmpo (born Adetokunbo; December 6, 1994) is a Greek-Nigerian professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Antetokounmpo's country of origin, in addition to his s ...
, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, and Damian Lillard among others. Abdul-Jabbar and Antetokounmpo have been named the NBA's
Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
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 NBA team to have won a championship in both the Eastern and Western Conference.


Franchise history


1968–1969: Team creation

On January 22, 1968, the NBA awarded a franchise to Milwaukee Professional Sports and Services, Inc. (Milwaukee Pro), a group headed by Wesley Pavalon and Marvin Fishman. A fan contest was held to name the new team, with over 40,000 fans participating. While the most-voted fan entry was the ''Robins'', named for Wisconsin's state bird, the contest judges went with the second-most popular choice, the ''Bucks'', which was a reference to Wisconsin's official wild animal, the
white-tailed deer The white-tailed deer (''Odocoileus virginianus''), also known as the whitetail or Virginia deer, is a medium-sized deer native to North America, Central America, and South America as far south as Peru and Bolivia. It has also been introduced t ...
. One fan, R. D. Trebilcox, was awarded a new car for his part in reasoning why the Bucks was a good nickname, saying that bucks were "spirited, good jumpers, fast and agile." The Bucks marked a return of the NBA to Milwaukee after 13 years; their previous team, the
Hawks Hawks are birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. They are widely distributed and are found on all continents except Antarctica. * The subfamily Accipitrinae includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, sharp-shinned hawks and others. This subfamily a ...
, played for four seasons in the early 1950s before moving to St. Louis in 1955 (they are now based in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
). In October, the Bucks played their first NBA regular-season game against the Chicago Bulls before a
Milwaukee Arena Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
crowd of 8,467. As is typical with expansion teams, the Bucks' first season ( 1968–69) was a struggle. Their first victory came in their sixth game as the Bucks beat the Detroit Pistons 134–118; they won only 26 more games in their first year. That year, the Bucks' record earned them a coin flip against their expansion cousins, the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
, to see who would get the first pick in the upcoming draft. It was considered a foregone conclusion that the first pick in the draft would be
Lew Alcindor Lew or LEW may refer to: People * Lew (given name) * Lew (surname) Places * Lew, Oxfordshire, England * River Lew, in Devon, England Transport * LEW Hennigsdorf, a rail vehicle factory in Hennigsdorf, Germany * Lew (locomotive), a British narro ...
of
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
. The Bucks won the coin flip, but had to win a bidding war with the
New York Nets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
of the upstart
American Basketball Association The American Basketball Association (ABA) was a major men's professional basketball league from 1967 to 1976. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger, American Basketball Association–National Basketball Association merger in 1976, ...
(ABA) to secure him.


1969–1975: The Kareem Abdul-Jabbar era

With the addition of Alcindor, the Bucks finished with a 56–26 record in 1969–70, second-best in the league behind the
New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...
. Not only was this a near-reversal of their inaugural season, but the 29-game improvement was the best in league history – a record which would stand for ten years until the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
jumped from 29 wins in 1978–79 to 61 in 1979–80. The Bucks defeated the
Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...
in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals, only to be dispatched in five by the Knicks in the Eastern finals. Alcindor was a runaway selection for
NBA Rookie of the Year The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gottl ...
. The following season, the Bucks traded for
Cincinnati Royals The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...
guard Oscar Robertson to complement Alcindor. Subsequently, the Bucks, now in the Western Conference, finished 66–16, the second-most wins in NBA history at the time, and still a franchise record. During the regular season, the Bucks recorded a then-NBA record 20-game win streak. Posting a 12–2 record in the playoffs, they won their first NBA championship on April 30, 1971, by sweeping the Baltimore Bullets in four games. By winning the championship in only their third season, the Bucks became one of the fastest true expansion teams in North American professional sports history to win a league championship. The Bucks remained a powerhouse for the first half of the 1970s. In 1972, Alcindor, who had already privately converted to Islam and changed his name, 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 The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
in six games. In 1973, they recorded their third consecutive 60-win season, the first NBA team to do so, but injuries resulted in an early playoff exit. The Bucks were back in the
1974 NBA Finals The 1974 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1973–74 National Basketball Association (NBA) season. The Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeated the Western Conference champion Milwaukee Bucks 4 games to ...
against the Celtics. In game six of the series, Abdul-Jabbar made his famous "
sky hook ''Sky Hook'' was a science fiction fanzine published by Redd Boggs from 1948 to 1957. It was nominated for the 1954 Retro-Hugo for Best Fanzine. Contributors included Poul Anderson, James Blish, Philip Jose Farmer, Dean Grennell, David Kelle ...
" shot in a classic double-overtime victory. However, the Bucks then lost in game seven, and did not return to the NBA Finals until 2021. As the 1974–1975 season began, Abdul-Jabbar suffered a hand injury and the Bucks got off to a 3–13 start. After his return, other injuries befell the team, sending them to the bottom of their division with a 38-44 record. When the season ended, Abdul-Jabbar announced that he no longer wished to play for the Bucks and wanted to play in a larger market, either Los Angeles or New York. After the front office was unable to convince him to stay, the Bucks obliged Abdul-Jabbar's request by trading him to the Lakers on June 16, 1975, for
Elmore Smith Elmore Smith (born May 9, 1949) is an American former professional basketball player born in Macon, Georgia. A 7'0" center from Kentucky State University, he played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1971 to 1979. He was a member ...
,
Junior Bridgeman Ulysses Lee "Junior" Bridgeman (born September 17, 1953) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Bridgeman played in the National Basketball League (NBA) for twelve years from 1975 until 1987, beginning with the Milw ...
, Brian Winters, and
David Meyers David Meyers may refer to: *Dave Meyers (director) (born 1972), American music video director *Dave Meyers (basketball) (1953–2015), American basketball player See also * David Myers (disambiguation) David or Dave Myers may refer to: * David M ...
. The trade triggered a series of events that led to a change in the team's ownership. Minority owner and cable television executive
Jim Fitzgerald James Francis Fitzgerald (March 27, 1926 – June 4, 2012) was an American businessman and former professional sports owner, best known as a former owner of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Golden State Warriors, both NBA teams. Early life Fitzge ...
opposed the trade and wanted to sell his stock.


1976–1979: Post-Abdul-Jabbar era; "Green 'n Growing"

After the deal, the Bucks had several seasons in transition, but most of these players would go on to help the team. After being sold to Fitzgerald and several partners in 1976, the Bucks would enter into another era of greatness. It began with
Don Nelson Donald Arvid Nelson (born May 15, 1940) is an American former professional basketball player and head coach. Nelson is second all-time in regular season wins of any coach in NBA history, with 1,335 (he held the record for most wins for almost 12 ...
who became head coach in November 1976 after
Larry Costello Lawrence Ronald Costello (July 2, 1931 – December 13, 2001) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He played for the Philadelphia Warriors, the Syracuse Nationals / Philadelphia 76ers for the NBA and the Wilkes-Barre Barons. ...
abruptly resigned. In the 1977 draft, the Bucks had three first-round picks and drafted
Kent Benson Michael Kent Benson (born December 27, 1954) is an American former collegiate and professional basketball player. Benson was a two time All-American at Indiana University, winning the 1976 Helms Foundation Player of the Year and helping lead th ...
, Marques Johnson and Ernie Grunfeld. Johnson would become a staple in the Bucks for years to come. Rookie Sidney Moncrief made his debut in 1979. Don Nelson went on to win two
NBA Coach of the Year The National Basketball Association's Coach of the Year is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1962–63 NBA season. The winner receives the Red Auerbach Trophy, which is named in honor of the head coach who le ...
awards with the Bucks, both during seasons where the team won division titles, in 1983 and 1985. On October 18, 1977, Abdul-Jabbar, playing with the Lakers, punched Benson during a game. Abdul-Jabbar broke his hand in the process. Benson had been aggressive under the boards and Abdul-Jabbar, a
martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
blackbelt, snapped. Abdul-Jabbar was fined $5,000 by the NBA and missed the next 20 games. Meanwhile, Benson never played as aggressively again and the Bucks traded him to the Detroit Pistons in 1980 for veteran center Bob Lanier to fill in the hole left by the departure of Abdul-Jabbar. They then won the Midwest Division title in 1980. After losing to Seattle in the semi-finals, the Bucks moved to the Eastern Conference's Central Division.


1979–1990: The Sidney Moncrief era

There, they would win six 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, Marques Johnson,
Paul Pressey Paul Matthew Pressey (born December 24, 1958) is an American former professional basketball player who was also an assistant coach for seven different National Basketball Association (NBA) teams. Pressey is widely credited as being one of the initi ...
,
Junior Bridgeman Ulysses Lee "Junior" Bridgeman (born September 17, 1953) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Bridgeman played in the National Basketball League (NBA) for twelve years from 1975 until 1987, beginning with the Milw ...
and the arrival of
Craig Hodges Craig Anthony Hodges (born June 27, 1960)
''basketball-reference.com''. Retrieved March 19, 2011
is an ...
, Terry Cummings,
Ricky Pierce Richard Charles Pierce (born August 19, 1959) is an American retired National Basketball Association (NBA) player. Nicknamed "Deuces" and "Big Paper Daddy", he was selected as an NBA All-Star (1991) and was twice the NBA Sixth Man of the Year (19 ...
and
Jack Sikma Jack Wayne Sikma (born November 14, 1955) is an American former professional basketball center. He was a seven-time NBA All-Star with the Seattle SuperSonics, who drafted him in the first round with the eighth overall pick of the 1977 NBA draft. ...
from trades with the Los Angeles Clippers and Seattle SuperSonics respectively. However, the Bucks were unable to make it to the NBA Finals again, being eliminated by either the Celtics or the Sixers each time. For much of the 1970s, the Bucks' colors were forest green, deep red and white. In 1978, they added various shades of green to the uniforms, and in 1985, they eliminated red from the team colors. Noteworthy for the 1980s Bucks is that in
1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to Internet protocol suite, TCP/IP is officially completed (this is consid ...
they became the first, and until
2003 File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
, only team in NBA history to sweep the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
in a best-of-seven playoff series, being the first team to meet and defeat
Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
in a playoff series (during Jordan's rookie year), and hosting
Julius Erving Julius Winfield Erving II (born February 22, 1950), commonly known by the nickname Dr. J, is an American former professional basketball player. Erving helped legitimize the American Basketball Association (ABA), and he was the best-known player ...
's final NBA game in the 1987 NBA playoffs, which would see the Bucks advancing with a game five first-round playoff victory.


Ownership and arena changes

In 1985, Fitzgerald and his partners (one of which was Stuart Shadel) decided to sell the Bucks. Fitzgerald was having health problems and some of his investors wanted to get out, and he was reeling from the failure of
Sportsvue Sportsvue was a regional sports network operating in Wisconsin. The premium cable channel showed telecasts of sporting events, principally those involving the Milwaukee Brewers and Milwaukee Bucks. Sportsvue operated from April 3, 1984 to Februa ...
, a pioneering regional sports network–a failure that came in part because Milwaukee itself was not wired for cable. By then, Milwaukee Arena was the smallest arena in the NBA, and the city did not want to build a new one. Milwaukee businessman and future U.S. Senator
Herb Kohl Herbert H. Kohl (born February 7, 1935) is an American businessman and politician. Alongside his brother and father, the Kohl family created the Kohl's department stores chain, of which Kohl went on to be president and CEO. Kohl also served as a ...
bought the Bucks after fears that out-of-town investors could buy the team and move it out of Milwaukee. Before the transaction was complete, broadcaster Lloyd Pettit and his wife,
Jane Bradley Pettit Jane Bradley Pettit (1918-2001) was an American philanthropist.
''
, announced they were donating a new arena called the
Bradley Center The Bradley Center (also known as the BMO Harris Bradley Center under sponsorship agreements) was a multi-purpose arena located on the northwest corner of North Vel R. Phillips Ave. and West State Streets in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United ...
. In 2003, after considering selling the team, Kohl announced that he had decided against selling the Bucks to
Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...
and would "continue to own them, improve them and commit them to remaining in Wisconsin". On May 21, 2012, the
naming rights Naming rights are a financial transaction and form of advertising or memorialization whereby a corporation, person, or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, object, location, program, or event, typically for a defined period of t ...
of the Bradley Center were sold to
BMO Harris Bank BMO Harris Bank, N.A. is an American bank based in Chicago, Illinois. It is a member of the Federal Reserve System and operates branches in the states of Illinois, Indiana, Arizona, Missouri, Minnesota, Kansas, Florida, Wisconsin, and California ...
, a division of
Bank of Montreal The Bank of Montreal (BMO; french: Banque de Montréal, link=no) is a Canadian multinational investment bank and financial services company. The bank was founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1817 as Montreal Bank; while its head office remains in ...
. BMO Harris had merged with Milwaukee-based
M&I Bank Marshall & Ilsley Corporation (also known as M&I Bank) was a U.S. bank and diversified financial services corporation headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that was purchased by Bank of Montreal in 2010. The bank was founded in 1847 and by 2008 ...
a year earlier. After the heirs to the Bradley fortune gave their approval, the arena was renamed the "BMO Harris Bradley Center".


1990–1998: The period of struggles

For most of the 1990s, the Bucks franchise was mired in mediocrity under coaches
Frank Hamblen Frank Alan Hamblen II (April 16, 1947 – September 30, 2017) was an American basketball coach and scout. He played college basketball at Syracuse. He died in San Diego on September 30, 2017. Early life Born in Terre Haute, Indiana in 1947, Hambl ...
, Mike Dunleavy, and
Chris Ford Christopher Joseph Ford (born January 11, 1949) is an American former professional basketball player and head coach. He is known for making the first counted NBA three-point shot on October 12, 1979. Amateur career A 6-foot-5 (1.96 m) guard from ...
. They would make the playoffs only three times during the 1990s, winning only one playoff game. From 1991 through 1998, the Bucks suffered a franchise-record seven straight losing seasons. During this period, the Bucks drafted Glenn Robinson with the first overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft and in 1996 acquired rookie Ray Allen in a draft-day trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Both players would have prominent roles in the Bucks' resurgence during the late 1990s. At the
1998 NBA draft The 1998 NBA draft took place on June 24, 1998, at General Motors Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. This draft helped turn around four struggling franchises: the Dallas Mavericks, the Sacramento Kings, the Boston Celtics, and the Tor ...
, the Bucks made a trade that would come back to haunt them for years. At the draft, the Bucks selected Dirk Nowitzki with the ninth overall pick, but traded him to the
Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...
in exchange for
Robert Traylor Robert DeShaun "Tractor" Traylor (February 1, 1977 – May 11, 2011) was an American professional basketball player. He got his nickname because of his hulking frame. Traylor was the sixth pick in the 1998 NBA draft and played seven seasons in th ...
. Many rank this as one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history, as Nowitzki would go onto a 21-season career with the Mavericks, winning a championship in
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
while being named Finals MVP in the process, along with winning the NBA MVP award in 2007. Meanwhile, Traylor would spend just two seasons with the Bucks before joining the
Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
. After the franchise's 25th anniversary in 1993, the Bucks overhauled their logo and uniforms. The colors were green, purple, and silver. The old logo, which featured a cartoonish deer, was replaced in favor of a more realistic one. The primary color scheme was altered as well, when red was supplanted by purple. Purple road uniforms replaced the former green away uniforms. In 1997, the Bucks sent all-star forward
Vin Baker Vincent Lamont Baker (born November 23, 1971) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He appeared in four consecutive All-Star Games. As of 2018, Baker serves as an assista ...
in a three-team trade to the Seattle SuperSonics, and they would acquire
Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
guard
Terrell Brandon Thomas Terrell Brandon (born May 20, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player. He played for three teams during his 11-year career in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A two-time All-Star, Brandon was a key starter on ...
and forward
Tyrone Hill Tyrone Hill (born March 19, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player and former assistant coach for the National Basketball Association's Atlanta Hawks. Hill spent four years playing collegiately at Xavier University, in his la ...
. They also traded their 10th overall pick
Danny Fortson Daniel Anthony Fortson (born March 27, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player. He played the power forward and center position in the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1997 to 2007. Early life Although born in Philad ...
, guard
Johnny Newman John Sylvester Newman Jr. (born November 28, 1963) is an American former professional basketball player. A 6' 7" and shooting guard/small forward, Newman starred at the University of Richmond, before going on to play in the National Basketball ...
, and center
Joe Wolf Joseph James Wolf (born December 17, 1964) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. Professional career He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was the 13th overall pick of the 1987 NBA Draft, selecte ...
to the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...
for center
Ervin Johnson Ervin Johnson Jr. (born December 21, 1967) is an American former professional basketball player who is a community ambassador for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played in the NBA for the Seattle SuperSonics, De ...
. The 1997–98 Bucks finished their season with a 36–46 record, failing to make the playoffs for the seventh consecutive time.


1998–2003: The Big Three era; "Let It Fly"

After a decade of dwelling near the bottom of the NBA's standings, the Bucks looked to add credibility to their basketball operations. In 1998, the team hired veteran coach
George Karl George Matthew Karl (born May 12, 1951) is an American former professional basketball coach and player. After spending five years as a player for the San Antonio Spurs, Karl became an assistant with the team before getting the chance to become a ...
, who had reached the
NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awa ...
with the Seattle SuperSonics. Under the leadership of Karl and general manager Ernie Grunfeld, and with the steady addition of talent such as Tim Thomas and
Sam Cassell Samuel James Cassell Sr. (born November 18, 1969) is an American professional basketball coach and former point guard who serves as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Drafted 24th overall i ...
, the Bucks developed into an elite team in the Eastern Conference. The nucleus of the "big three"—consisting of Ray Allen, Cassell, and Robinson—along with Karl, created a successful renaissance era in Milwaukee. The team reached its zenith in 2000–2001, winning 52 games and their first division title in 15 years. The Bucks reached the 2001 Eastern Conference Finals by defeating the Charlotte Hornets. They lost the Eastern Conference finals in seven games to the 76ers. This era became known for many Bucks fans as the "Let It Fly" era, due to the high-scoring offense of the team, personified by the shooting of Robinson and Allen. After coming within one game of an NBA Finals appearance in 2001, the Bucks sought to make key off-season player additions to put the team in the NBA Finals. Behind the strong encouragement of George Karl, the Bucks acquired forward Anthony Mason at the beginning of the 2001–02 season. On paper, this move made the Bucks the team to beat in the East. However, Mason battled with his weight and had a tough time finding his role. The Bucks, who at the season's midway point were the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, went into a swoon in February and March. The collapse culminated with a loss to the Detroit Pistons on the final night of the season, which eliminated the Bucks from the playoffs and gave the division to the Pistons. The fallout created tension between Karl and the players, resulting in a trade of Glenn Robinson to Atlanta (for
Toni Kukoč Toni Kukoč, nicknamed ''“The Waiter”'' (; born September 18, 1968) is a Croatian-American former professional basketball player who serves as Special Advisor to Jerry Reinsdorf, the owner of the Chicago Bulls. After a highly successful perio ...
and a 2003 first-round draft pick, used to select
T. J. Ford Terrance Jerod Ford Sr. (born March 24, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player. Having been awarded numerous top basketball accolades in high school and college, Ford entered the 2003 NBA draft and was selected eighth overall ...
). During the 2002–03 season, the Bucks traded Ray Allen and backup Ronald "Flip" Murray to the Seattle SuperSonics for
Gary Payton Gary Dwayne Payton Sr. (born July 23, 1968) is an American former professional basketball player who played the point guard position. Widely considered one of the greatest point guards of all time, he is best known for his 13-year tenure with t ...
and
Desmond Mason Desmond Tremaine Mason (born October 11, 1977) is an American painter and former professional basketball player. He played as a shooting guard and small forward. Mason has also found success as an artist, working in a variety of media. Currently, ...
. The trade allowed emerging star
Michael Redd Michael Wesley Redd (born August 24, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player. He was drafted 43rd overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2000 NBA draft. He was born in Columbus, Ohio, where he attended West High School. He wa ...
to see increased playing time, and with Payton in the backcourt, they finished the season with a 42–40 record. The Bucks made the playoffs, but lost in the first round to the New Jersey Nets in six games. That offseason, team leaders
Sam Cassell Samuel James Cassell Sr. (born November 18, 1969) is an American professional basketball coach and former point guard who serves as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Drafted 24th overall i ...
and Ervin Johnson were traded to Minnesota (for Joe Smith). Payton left via free agency, after playing only 28 games for the Bucks. Karl's tenure also ended after the season. Within a one-year period, the team had lost the coach and players most responsible for the team's success during that era.


2003–2009: The Michael Redd era

Under the direction of new general manager Larry Harris, the Bucks struggled with inconsistency and injury for the next six years. During that period, they reached the playoffs twice, first under coach Terry Porter in
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 6 ...
and then under
Terry Stotts Terry Linn Stotts (born November 25, 1957) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He most recently served as head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After a playing as a fo ...
in
2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
. In both instances, they were defeated by the Detroit Pistons in five games. During that period,
Michael Redd Michael Wesley Redd (born August 24, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player. He was drafted 43rd overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2000 NBA draft. He was born in Columbus, Ohio, where he attended West High School. He wa ...
blossomed into an all-star and a perimeter shooting threat, becoming the new "face of the franchise". The Bucks received the first pick in the
2005 NBA draft The 2005 NBA draft took place on June 28, 2005, in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, NBA teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players f ...
, and used it to select center Andrew Bogut. Bogut struggled with both inconsistency and injuries in his first four years in Milwaukee, but over time became a key contributor to the Bucks. In 2006, the team finished 40–42, last in their division, 24 games behind Detroit, but still made the playoffs in a season where every team in their division did. They were paired as the eighth seed versus the 64–18 conference-leading Pistons. They won game three at home, but lost the other four in a 4–1 series loss. Also in March, the Bucks announced that they would not renew general manager Larry Harris's contract, which was to expire in June. In April, the Bucks hired John Hammond, formerly vice-president of basketball operations for the Pistons, as their new general manager, giving the Milwaukee team a fresh director recently associated with success. Also in April, the Bucks announced that
Larry Krystkowiak Larry Brett Krystkowiak ( ; born September 23, 1964) is a retired American professional basketball player, and former head coach of the Utah Utes men's basketball team. Early life He was born in Missoula, Montana, to Bernard and Helen Krystkowia ...
, the third and final head coach hired by Larry Harris, had been relieved of his duties. Scott Skiles, formerly of the Chicago Bulls and
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
, became head coach. On June 26, 2008, the Bucks acquired Richard Jefferson from the New Jersey Nets in a trade for 2007 first-round draft pick
Yi Jianlian Yi Jianlian ( ; born October 27, 1987) is a Chinese professional basketball player for the Guangdong Southern Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He has also played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Milwauk ...
and
Bobby Simmons Bobby Simmons (born June 2, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player. In his career he played for five NBA teams. He won the NBA Most Improved Player Award in 2005. College career After graduating from Chicago's Neal F. Sime ...
. Later that day, the Bucks selected West Virginia's
Joe Alexander Joe Alexander (ג'ו אלכסנדר; born December 26, 1986) is a Taiwanese-born American-Israeli professional basketball player for Maccabi Haifa B.C., Maccabi Haifa of the Israeli Liga Leumit (basketball), Liga Leumit. Alexander, who at plays ...
with the eighth pick of the NBA draft. Alexander was the first Taiwanese-born player in the NBA.


2009–2013: The Brandon Jennings era

In the
2009 NBA draft The 2009 NBA draft was held on June 25, 2009, at the WaMu Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City. In this draft, the National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players and other eli ...
, the Milwaukee Bucks selected point guard
Brandon Jennings Brandon Byron Jennings (born September 23, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player who played 9 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is known for being one of the first Americans to go from high school to ...
, who had not gone to college but played in
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
the previous year. Midway through the season, Bucks' general manager John Hammond traded
Hakim Warrick Hakim Hanif Warrick (born July 8, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Syracuse Orange from 2001 to 2005. Warrick won an NCAA championship in 2003 and blocked a potential game-tying three ...
to the Chicago Bulls, and acquired
John Salmons John Rashall Salmons (born December 12, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player who last played for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the University of Miami. ...
. In a Bucks uniform, Salmons averaged a team-leading 19.9 points per game. The play of Jennings, along with the improvement of Andrew Bogut, the improved Ersan İlyasova, and the Salmons trade, catapulted the team to be a playoff contender. At the beginning of the season, the Bucks had low playoffs expectations; they had not been in four years. In October, the Bucks quickly fell behind the
Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...
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 John Anderson may refer to: Business *John Anderson (Scottish businessman) (1747–1820), Scottish merchant and founder of Fermoy, Ireland * John Byers Anderson (1817–1897), American educator, military officer and railroad executive, mentor of ...
. It was quickly adopted on message boards and within Andrew Bogut's Squad 6. The slogan rang well with Bucks fans, who started bringing signs with the phrase to games. The slogan became the team's battle cry in the NBA playoffs. The Bucks finished the regular season with a record of 46–36. The Bucks clinched the sixth seed and were eliminated in a seven-game series against the Atlanta Hawks. It was the farthest Milwaukee had gotten in the post-season since
2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...
. The Bucks' short playoff run was also in part due to Bogut suffering a broken arm after making an awkward fall after a dunk in a late-season game, thus ending his season. In the 2010–11 season, the Bucks finished ninth in the Eastern Conference, just out of reach of the playoffs. With Bogut sidelined for the rest of the season and Stephen Jackson and head coach Scott Skiles not seeing eye-to-eye, the Bucks decided to trade both players. On March 13, 2012, 48 hours before the trade deadline, the Bucks traded Bogut and Jackson to the
Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...
in exchange for
Monta Ellis Monta Ellis ( ; born October 26, 1985) is a former American professional basketball player. Ellis attended Lanier High School in Jackson, Mississippi, where he was a McDonald's All-American and first-team ''Parade'' All-American. He entered the ...
,
Ekpe Udoh Ekpedeme Friday "Ekpe" Udoh ( ; born May 20, 1987) is a Nigerian-American professional basketball player for Shimane Susanoo Magic of the Japanese B.League. He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines and the Baylor Bears. In the 201 ...
, and Kwame Brown. Before the
2012 NBA draft The 2012 NBA draft was held on June 28, 2012, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (2300 UTC), and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Asso ...
, the Bucks sent a first-round pick,
Shaun Livingston Shaun Patrick Livingston (born September 11, 1985) is an American professional basketball executive and former player. Livingston entered the league directly out of high school and was selected fourth by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2004 NBA dr ...
, Jon Brockman, and
Jon Leuer Jon Leuer (born May 14, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player. He was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 40th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. During his National Basketball Association (NBA) career, he also played fo ...
to the Houston Rockets for a first-round pick and Samuel Dalembert. In the 2012 draft, the Bucks selected
Doron Lamb Doron Emmanuel Calvin Lamb (born November 6, 1991) is an American professional basketball player for Scafati Basket of the Lega Basket Serie A. He played college basketball for the University of Kentucky. High school career Lamb was born in Que ...
and John Henson. After 32 games of the 2012–13 season, the Bucks fired Skiles, their coach since 2008. Jim Boylan was announced as the interim head coach and led the Bucks to a 22–28 record to finish the season at 38–44. The Bucks qualified as the eighth seed, where they were quickly swept 4–0 by the reigning, and eventual champions, the Miami Heat.


2013–present: The Giannis Antetokounmpo era


2013–2014: under Larry Drew

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 Giannis Sina Ugo Antetokounmpo (born Adetokunbo; December 6, 1994) is a Greek-Nigerian professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Antetokounmpo's country of origin, in addition to his s ...
with the 15th overall pick of the 2013 NBA draft. They also brought in
O. J. Mayo Ovinton J'Anthony Mayo (born November 5, 1987) is an American professional basketball player who plays for Zamalek SC of the Egyptian Basketball Super League (EBSL). He played a single season of college basketball for the USC Trojans while earnin ...
,
Carlos Delfino Carlos Francisco Delfino (born August 29, 1982) is an Argentine-Italian professional basketball player for Victoria Libertas Pesaro of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA). He holds dual citizenship in both Italy and Argentina. Standing at , he ...
,
Zaza Pachulia Zaza Pachulia ( ka, ზაზა ფაჩულია; born Zaur Pachulia; February 10, 1984) is a Georgian professional basketball executive and former player who is a basketball operations consultant for the Golden State Warriors of the Nati ...
, and
Gary Neal Gary Neal (born October 3, 1984) is an American professional basketball coach and former player. He played college basketball at La Salle University and Towson University. He began his professional career abroad with teams in Turkey, Spain and I ...
as well as seeing
Monta Ellis Monta Ellis ( ; born October 26, 1985) is a former American professional basketball player. Ellis attended Lanier High School in Jackson, Mississippi, where he was a McDonald's All-American and first-team ''Parade'' All-American. He entered the ...
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 Viacheslav "Slava" Kravtsov ( uk, В’ячеслав Кравцов; born 25 August 1987) is a Ukrainian professional basketball player for the Kaohsiung 17LIVE Steelers of the P. League+. He also represents the Ukrainian national basketball te ...
. 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 The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
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 April 16, 2014, long-time Bucks owner Herb Kohl agreed to sell a majority interest of the team to New York-based billionaires
Wes Edens Wesley Robert Edens (born October 30, 1961) is an American billionaire businessman and private equity investor. He is the co-founder of Fortress Investment Group and founder of New Fortress Energy. Edens is co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks NBA fran ...
, and
Marc Lasry Marc Lasry (born September 23, 1959) is a Moroccan-American billionaire businessman and hedge fund manager. He is the co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Avenue Capital Group, and the co-owner of the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks basketbal ...
for $550 million, but Kohl retained a significant minority interest in the team. The new owners were expected to keep the team in Milwaukee. They were also expected to contribute $100 million toward building a new arena for the franchise. Approval from the NBA Board of Governors came on May 15, a month later. By this time, Bradley Center was seen as obsolete. The donation from the Bradley heirs did not provide for the arena's operating expenses or long-term capital needs. This led the NBA to give an ultimatum to Edens and Lasry–unless the Bucks were either close to getting a new arena or actually opening a new arena by the 2017-18 season, Edens and Lasry would be required to return the franchise to the league, which would sell it to prospective ownership groups in
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
and
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
.


2014–2018: under Jason Kidd

On July 1, 2014, the Milwaukee Bucks secured the coaching rights for Jason Kidd from the
Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The t ...
in exchange for two second-round draft picks in the 2015 NBA draft, and the
2019 NBA draft The 2019 NBA draft was held on June 20, 2019. It took place at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible players, i ...
. With the acquisition of Kidd, the team fired coach Larry Drew. With the many changes to the Bucks in ownership, coaches, and acquiring new young players to rebuild the team, the Bucks' new slogan for the 2014–15 season became "''Own The Future''." The Bucks' overall play vastly improved, and on December 26, the Bucks beat the Atlanta Hawks 107–77 for their 15th win, matching their win total of the previous season just 30 games in. The Bucks then went on a stretch from January 24 to February 20, where they went 10–2. The Bucks beat the Sacramento Kings on February 11 for their 30th win of the year, and also became the first-ever NBA team to double their win total from the previous season before the All-Star Break. Off the court, the Bucks made several changes to their roster, releasing Larry Sanders after several off-court incidents that led to multiple suspensions. On February 19, in the final minutes of the trade deadline, the Bucks became part of a 3-way deal with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Phoenix Suns, sending Brandon Knight, who was in the final year of his contract, to the Suns, and receiving reigning Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams,
Miles Plumlee Miles Christian Plumlee (born September 1, 1988) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Perth Wildcats of the National Basketball League (Australia), National Basketball League (NBL). He played four years of college ...
, and Tyler Ennis. The Bucks also lost expected superstar Jabari Parker to a season-ending knee injury on December 15 in a game against the Phoenix Suns. On January 25, the NBA passed the '
Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
Rule', prohibiting ownership groups from consisting of more than 25 individuals, and also mandating that no ownership interest in a team be smaller than 1%. Both Lasry and Edens had sold chunks of Bucks ownership to family, friends, and prominent members of the Milwaukee community. 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 The 2015 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2014–15 season. The tournament concluded with the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors defeating the Eastern Conference champion Clevel ...
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 Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
or
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
. 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 Gregory Keith Monroe Jr. (born June 4, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Shanxi Loongs of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He was drafted by the Detroit Pistons in the 2010 NBA draft with the seventh overall pic ...
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 An oracle is a person or agency considered to provide wise and insightful counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. As such, it is a form of divination. Description The word '' ...
, and
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylva ...
. 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 made trades to bring in Tony Snell and
Michael Beasley Michael Paul Beasley Jr. (born January 9, 1989) is an American professional basketball player, who most recently played for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for Kansas State Universi ...
. 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 23, 2017, Bucks general manager John Hammond stepped down to become general manager with the
Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...
. On January 22, 2018, the Bucks fired Jason Kidd, who had a 23–22 record in the 2017–18 season. In Kidd's three and a half seasons as head coach, the Bucks had a regular-season record of 139–152 and reached the first round of the NBA playoffs in the 2014–15 and 2016–17 seasons. Bucks' assistant coach
Joe Prunty Joe Prunty (born February 12, 1969) is an American professional basketball coach who is the lead assistant coach for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Previously, he served as the interim head coach of the Milwaukee ...
was announced as Kidd's replacement on an interim basis for the rest of the season. Prunty finished the season with a 21–16 record, leading the Bucks to an overall 44–38 record, their best since the 2009–10 season. Seeded seventh in the 2017–18 Eastern Conference playoffs, the Bucks lost the series to the second-seeded
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
, 4–3.


2018–2023: under Mike Budenholzer

On May 17, 2018, the Bucks announced former
San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Division ( ...
' assistant coach and 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. Since 2018, the Bucks host Pride Night at Fiserv Forum, an event to celebrate the
LGBTQ+ community The LGBT community (also known as the LGBTQ+ community, GLBT community, gay community, or queer community) is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other queer individuals united by a common culture and social ...
. On January 22, 2022, the annual event was hosted for the 5th time. The Bucks stormed through their 2018–19 regular season, racing out to a 25–10 start en route to finishing 60–22, the fifth 60-win season in franchise history and the first time they had won that many in a regular season since the 1980–81 season. They also finished with the league-best record for the second time in franchise history, equalling their 1970–71 championship season. This earned them home-court advantage in any playoff series for the first time since 2001, and only the second time in the new millennium. On April 22, 2019, the Bucks swept the Detroit Pistons for their first playoff series win since 2001. On May 8, they eliminated the
Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...
in five games to reach their first Conference Finals since 2001, where they lost to the eventual league champion Toronto Raptors in six games. After the season, Giannis Antetokounmpo was named the league's
Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
. General Manager Jon Horst won the
NBA Executive of the Year award The National Basketball Association's Executive of the Year Award is an annual award given since the 1972–73 NBA season, to the league's best general manager, president of basketball/business operations, or another high-ranking executive. Befor ...
. In their 2019–20 season, the Bucks clinched a playoff berth after the team's 56th regular-season game, becoming the fastest team to clinch a playoff spot measured by the number of games played and by the calendar date (February 23) since the NBA changed its playoff format in 1984. Following the
suspension of the 2019–20 NBA season On March 11, 2020, the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced the suspension of the 2019–20 season following Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert testing positive for COVID-19, which occurred around the same time as COVID-19 lockdowns began ...
, the Bucks were one of the 22 teams invited to the
NBA Bubble The 2020 NBA Bubble, also referred to as the Disney Bubble or the Orlando Bubble, was the bio-secure bubble at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando, that was created by the National Basketball Association (NBA) to protect its pla ...
to participate in the final 8 games of the regular season. On August 26, the Bucks’ players refused to play in their playoff matchup against the
Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...
following the
shooting of Jacob Blake On August 23, 2020, Jacob S. Blake, a 29-year-old black man, was shot and seriously injured by police officer Rusten Sheskey in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Sheskey shot Blake in the back four times and the side three times after Blake opened the driv ...
by police. Antetokounmpo received his second consecutive Most Valuable Player award after returning home from the NBA Bubble upon the Bucks losing in the semi-finals of the 2020 NBA playoffs to the Miami Heat. During the first possession of a 2020–21 regular season game against the Detroit Pistons on January 6, both teams took a knee in protest to the announcement that criminal charges would not be filed against police officers in the Blake shooting. The Bucks held the ball for seven seconds in reference to Blake's seven gunshots. During the offseason, the Bucks signed Giannis Antetokounmpo to a 5-year, $228 million contract extension, the largest contract in NBA history. Along with resigning their superstar, the Bucks also made a trade which resulted in Eric Bledsoe and George Hill being sent to the
New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans are an American professional basketball team based in New Orleans. The Pelicans compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division and play their hom ...
and receiving a former All-Defense player in Jrue Holiday. The Bucks also strengthened their bench with free agent signings of
Bobby Portis Bobby Portis Jr. (born February 10, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Arkansas Razorbacks, earning consensus second-team ...
and
Bryn Forbes Bryn Jerrel Forbes (born July 23, 1993) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for Cleveland State and Michigan Stat ...
. In their 2020–21 season, the Bucks clinched the third seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 46–26, as well as their third consecutive Central Division title. It was the third consecutive season the Bucks had a winning percentage of at least .600, the first time it had happened in franchise history since 1984–86. During the season, the Bucks acquired
P. J. Tucker Anthony Leon "P. J." Tucker Jr. (born May 5, 1985) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Texas Longhorns. He was the 2008 Israe ...
to further strengthen their defense for the playoffs. In the 2021 NBA playoffs, the Bucks began by defeating the Heat in a four-game sweep in the first round in a rematch of the previous year's Eastern Conference Semifinals. They then defeated the Brooklyn Nets (led by
Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant ( ; born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for t ...
, Kyrie Irving and
James Harden James Edward Harden Jr. (born August 26, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Harden is regarded as one of the greatest scorers and shooting guards in NBA ...
) in seven games in the Conference Semifinals, culminating with a Game 7 victory on the road at
Barclays Center Barclays Center is a multi-purpose list of indoor arenas, indoor arena in the New York City Boroughs of New York City, borough of Brooklyn. The arena is home to the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association and the New York Liberty o ...
. 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 Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; f ...
. In the
NBA Finals The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awa ...
, the Bucks faced the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
, who were favored after defeating the defending champion
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
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 50-point performance in a 105-98 Game 6 victory at Fiserv Forum. The Bucks finished 2021-22 with a 51–31 record, their 4th consecutive season with a winning percentage of .600 or better, as well as their 4th consecutive Central Division title, their longest streak of division championships since 1979–1986. Once again with the 3-seed in the Eastern Conference, the Bucks beat the rival Chicago Bulls 4 games to 1 in the first round, but lost Khris Middleton to a sprained knee in game 2. Without Middleton, the Bucks struggled to find offensive support for Giannis Antetokounmpo in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics. Though the Bucks had a 3–2 lead in the series, they would lose game 6 at home and game 7 on the road, ending their season. During the 2022 off-season, the Bucks selected
MarJon Beauchamp MarJon Beauchamp (; born October 12, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Yakima Valley Yaks. High school career Entering h ...
and
Hugo Besson Hugo Besson (born 26 April 2001) is a French professional basketball player for FMP Meridian of the Basketball League of Serbia (KLS) and the Adriatic League. He debuted in the LNB Pro A in 2018 with Élan Chalon. After two seasons with Chal ...
with the 24th and 58th overall picks in the
2022 NBA draft The 2022 NBA draft (branded as the 2022 NBA Draft presented by State Farm for sponsorship reasons), the 76th edition of the National Basketball Association's annual draft, was held on June 23, 2022, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The ...
respectively. The Bucks also re-signed Bobby Portis Jr. to a 4-year, $48 million contract as well as Wesley Matthews and Serge Ibaka to 1-year deals and Jevon Carter to a 2-year, $4.3 million deal. The Bucks also signed
Joe Ingles Joseph Howarth Ingles (born 2 October 1987) is an Australian professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also represents the Australian national team. He primarily plays at the small ...
to a 1-year deal out of free agency. Despite Khris Middleton playing just 33 games over the course of the 2022-23 season, the Bucks finished with a 58-24 record, the best in the league. They went into the
2023 NBA playoffs The 2023 NBA playoffs was the NBA playoffs, postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2022–23 NBA season, 2022–23 season. The playoffs began on April 15 and concluded on June 12 with the Denver Nuggets winning the 2023 NB ...
as the 1st seed in the Eastern Conference and faced the Miami Heat in the first round. Giannis Antetokounmpo would suffer a back injury just a few minutes into the first game of the series following a blocking foul from Kevin Love as Antetokounmpo was driving to the basket. Antetokounmpo would go on to miss games 2 and 3 and, despite his return for games 4 and 5, the Bucks would go on to lose the series 4-1. On May 4, 2023, a week after their series loss, the Bucks announced the firing of Mike Budenholzer.


2023–present: coaching changes, arrival of Damian Lillard

On June 5, 2023, the Bucks announced that former Toronto Raptors assistant coach
Adrian Griffin Adrian Darnell Griffin Sr. (born July 4, 1974) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played in the NBA as a shooting guard ...
would be their new head coach. On September 27, 2023, the Bucks acquired seven-time all-star point guard Damian Lillard in a 3-team trade. On January 23, 2024, the Bucks fired Griffin after only 43 games. On January 26, 2024, the Bucks named Doc Rivers as the new head coach.


Ownership

As of July 16, 2015, the following individuals and groups are among the owners of the Bucks: * Jamie Dinan, Hedge fund manager and founder of
York Capital Management York Capital Management is a global institutional investment management firm with approximately $18.5 billion in assets under management as of June 2019. The firm was founded in 1991 by Jamie Dinan. York Capital is headquartered in New York City ...
*
Wes Edens Wesley Robert Edens (born October 30, 1961) is an American billionaire businessman and private equity investor. He is the co-founder of Fortress Investment Group and founder of New Fortress Energy. Edens is co-owner of the Milwaukee Bucks NBA fran ...
, Co-founder of the Fortress Investment Group LLC, based in New York City. *Giacamo Falluca, CEO Palermo's Pizza. *
Michael D. Fascitelli Michael D. Fascitelli (born c. 1957) is an American businessman. He is a member of the Vornado Realty Trust board of trustees and former CEO and president of the company before stepping down from day-to-day responsibilities on February 26, 2013. He ...
, former CEO of Vornado Realty Trust. *
Jon Hammes Jon Hammes is the founder and managing partner of Hammes Company. He was formerly managing partner of Milwaukee's Trammel Crow real estate company. In July 2015, Hammes was named co-chair of Scott Walker's presidential fundraising campaign. E ...
, Co-chair of fundraising for Scott Walker's 2016 presidential campaign. * Jeffrey A. Joerres, Executive chairman of ManpowerGroup. *Jim Kacmarcik, President of Kapco, a metal stamping company in Grafton, Wisconsin. * Craig Karmazin, CEO of Good Karma Brands, which owns radio stations WTMJ (the team's flagship station), WKTI and WGKB in the Milwaukee market. *Ted Kellner, Chairman of the board and CEO, Fiduciary Management, Inc. and formerly of the
Marshall & Ilsley Marshall & Ilsley Corporation (also known as M&I Bank) was a U.S. bank and diversified financial services corporation headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that was purchased by Bank of Montreal in 2010. The bank was founded in 1847 and by 2008 ...
Corporation board of directors. * Gale Klappa, Executive Chairman Wisconsin Energy Corporation. *Michael Kocourek, President of Mid Oaks Investments. * Partners for Community Impact, *
Marc Lasry Marc Lasry (born September 23, 1959) is a Moroccan-American billionaire businessman and hedge fund manager. He is the co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Avenue Capital Group, and the co-owner of the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks basketbal ...
, CEO and co-founder of Avenue Capital Group. *Keith Mardak, Chairman and CEO of Hal Leonard Corporation, a sheet music company. *Agustin Ramirez, Executive chairman of Waukesha-based HUSCO International Inc. *
Austin Ramirez Austin Ramirez (born June 30, 1978) is the president and CEO of HUSCO International. He replaced his father, Agustin Ramirez, who was CEO for 25 years. Ramirez graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in Systems engineering and spe ...
, President and CEO of HUSCO International. *Adam Stern, Minority owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, a managing director and head of business development at Aristeia Capital, a New York City-based asset management firm. *
Marc Stern Marc Stern is an American attorney, business executive and philanthropist. He serves as the Chairman of the TCW Group, an asset management financial institution based in Los Angeles, California. He also owns minority stakes in Major League Basebal ...
, Minority owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, chairman
TCW Group TCW Group is an asset management firm based in Los Angeles, California. History Founded by Robert Addison Day in 1971 and headquartered in Los Angeles, TCW manages a broad range of investment products. The TCW Group was originally known as Trus ...
Inc. *Teddy Werner,
Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
vice president of business development and son of
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
chairman Tom Werner. *
Aaron Rodgers Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Rodgers began his college football career at Butte College in 2002 before transferring to the ...
,
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
player for the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL).


Mascot

The Bucks' official mascot is Bango. The word "Bango" was originally coined by Eddie Doucette, the longtime play-by-play announcer for the Bucks. Doucette used the word whenever a Bucks player connected on a long-range basket. It was often used for sharpshooter Jon McGlocklin. When it came time for the Bucks to choose a name for their new mascot, the name "Bango" won the contest. Bango has been the Bucks' official mascot since October 18, 1977, which was Milwaukee's home opener of the 1977–78 season. In addition to the date being Bango's home debut, the game itself pitted Milwaukee against former Bucks center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and his
Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...
at the
Milwaukee Arena Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
. Bango's original outfit only consisted of a green wool sweater with a "B" on the front, similar to the buck featured on the team logo. Since the 1990s, Bango now wears a Bucks uniform with the number 68, referring to the franchise's inaugural season of 1968. Bango has worked hard to become popular with Bucks fans throughout the state of Wisconsin over the years, appearing at schools, parades, and festivals as a goodwill ambassador for the team. His high-flying acrobatic layups, daring rebounds, and other entertaining antics still play an important role in energizing Bucks fans at the Fiserv Forum. Since 2001, Bango has also made perennial appearances at the NBA All-Star Game. At the 2009 All-Star Weekend in Phoenix, Arizona, Bango suffered an injury during a mascot-participative skit. While standing on one basket's rim, Bango's right leg slipped through the hoop, and he fell on the rim. He then slipped further and fell through the basket entirely. Bango tore his ACL due to the fall and was unable to perform for the remainder of the 2008–09 season, periodically making appearances at games in a wheelchair. A video of Bango's injury at the 2009 Mascot Challenge was uploaded onto
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
shortly after the incident occurred.Archived a
Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine
During game four of the 2009–10 first-round playoff series between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Atlanta Hawks, Bango successfully performed a back-flip dunk from the top of a 16-foot ladder, a feat similar to the Seattle SuperSonics' mascot Squatch's feat during a March 19, 2008, game between the SuperSonics and the
Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...
. Bango has also dunked the ball while in a human hamster wheel in 2012 and made a behind-the-back half-court shot in New Orleans at the NBA All-Star game. In 2010 Bango was named Mascot of the Year, and later in 2011 was awarded, Most Awesome Mascot", by Cartoon Network. Bango has also made many television appearances. He appeared in an ESPN commercial with Brandon Jennings in 2011, and then appeared in another ESPN commercial with Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2018. In 2013, Bango was featured on a Hulu original documentary series called, ''Behind the Mask''. This documentary featured the trials and tribulations of sports mascots. The 20-episode series focuses on the unsung heroes of sports mascots. The series follows the lives of seven mascots at different levels, both inside and outside the suit.


Logos and uniforms


1968–1977

The Bucks entered the NBA wearing hunter green and white uniforms with red trim. The white uniform featured "Bucks" in green serifed letters with red trim and block numbers, while the green uniform has "Milwaukee" in white serifed letters with red trim. Both sets have the deer head logo on the left leg. The Bucks would bring back the green uniform in the 2002–03 season, and the white uniform in the 2017–18 season as part of the league's "Classic" uniform series. Prior to the 1971–72 season, the letters on the white uniform changed to red with green trim, with "Bucks" now taking a block letter style. They kept the original green uniform until 1973, when it was modified to feature a script "Milwaukee" in red with white trim and numbers below the left chest. Both sets removed the deer head logo on the shorts. In the 1975–76 season, the Bucks' white uniform changed to feature a script "Bucks" lettering and numbers on the left chest. The green uniform brought back the block "Milwaukee" lettering and centered numbers but kept the red base and white trim. The striping on the shorts was also modified.


1977–1993

Coinciding with the debut of
Robert Indiana Robert Indiana (born Robert Clark; September 13, 1928 – May 19, 2018) was an American artist associated with the pop art movement. His iconic image LOVE was first created in 1964 in the form of a card which he sent to several friends and acq ...
's iconic
MECCA Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the Holiest sites in Islam, holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red ...
court in the 1977–78 season, the Bucks redesigned their uniforms. It now featured side stripes of kelly, lime and hunter green (a.k.a. the "Irish Rainbows"). Both the hunter green and white uniforms featured the streamlined "Bucks" lettering from the team logo and block lettering. They removed the color red prior to the 1985–86 season, while lime green was promoted to accent color.


1993–2006

The Bucks changed their logo and uniforms for the 1993–94 season. Green was relegated to trim color in favor of purple, while silver was added as an accent color. The original white uniform featured the letters in green with silver and purple trim, while the purple uniform featured letters in white with green and silver trim. In the 2001–02 season, the uniforms were tweaked to include the alternate antler logo on the waist along with extended side stripes. Letters on the purple uniform were now silver with green and white trim. The purple uniform from this era would be reused in the 2022–23 season as part of the "Classic" edition series. In the 1995–96 season the Bucks unveiled a hunter green alternate uniform. The script "Bucks" lettering was in white fading to silver and purple and numbers were in white with green and purple trim. The uniform featured the graphic
deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...
logo on the right side. They were retired after the 1998–99 season. It would be resurrected for the 2012–13 season during Hardwood Classics Nights, to updated uniform standards. According to former NBA creative director Tom O'Grady, the Bucks' purple and green color scheme was inspired by a mysterious
FedEx FedEx Corporation, formerly Federal Express Corporation and later FDX Corporation, is an American multinational conglomerate holding company focused on transportation, e-commerce and business services based in Memphis, Tennessee. The name "Fe ...
package that O'Grady received in 1992, containing a dark green cap and purple shirt with the logo of the
Wimbledon Championships The Wimbledon Championships, commonly known simply as Wimbledon, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is widely regarded as the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, All England Club in ...
, and a handwritten letter by then-Bucks general manager
Mike Dunleavy Sr. Michael Joseph Dunleavy Sr. (born March 21, 1954) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and general manager of the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Clippers. He was most recently the head coach of the Tulane U ...


2006–2015

The uniforms were changed again for the 2006–07 season. The new home uniform was white with
hunter green Varieties of the color green may differ in hue, chroma (also called saturation or intensity) or lightness (or value, tone, or brightness), or in two or three of these qualities. Variations in value are also called tints and shades, a tint be ...
stripes on the sides. Inside each green stripe is a thinner red stripe that splits into two stripes near the shoulders. The numbers are green with a red outline. Milwaukee had two road uniforms as part of this set. The primary one was hunter green and a similar design to the home uniform with white numbers with a silver highlight and red outline. Both uniforms jerseys said "BUCKS" across the chest in beveled block letters, the 'B' and 'S' slightly larger than the rest of the letters. A secondary road uniform was introduced in the 2008–09 season. Consisting of red jersey and shorts, it was made to resemble the 1968–73 uniforms. It says "Milwaukee" in white and silver writing, along with the numbers. The uniform set was tweaked for the 2014–15 season, with the addition of a gold tab commemorating their 1971 championship and the move of the NBA logo to the back. The 'Bucks' lettering was tweaked to make all the letters the same height. During the 2014–15 season, hints were made by the Bucks that their logo and uniforms were going to be redesigned. For one home game, it was anticipated that new uniforms were going to be revealed with hunter orange replacing red as the secondary color. It turned out to be an April Fool's joke, though the Bucks did announce that a new logo and colors would be revealed on April 13, 2015.


2015–present

On April 13, 2015, the Milwaukee Bucks unveiled new primary and secondary logos, as well as a new color scheme. The new branding will take effect beginning with the 2015–16 NBA season. The Bucks' new official colors are Good Land green (a reference to "Milwaukee" being supposedly based on an Algonquian word meaning "The Good Land"), Cream City cream (based on Milwaukee's old nickname of "the
Cream City ''Cream City'' is the debut album by funk/soul Los Angeles, California band Aalon Aalon is an American soul group from Los Angeles formed by lead singer and guitarist Aalon Butler. Butler played guitar for Eric Burdon in the 1970s prior to fo ...
", which came from the cream-colored bricks that were used for constructing many of Milwaukee's buildings back during the late 19th century), Great Lakes blue, black, and white. On June 6, 2015, the Milwaukee Bucks unveiled their new home and road uniforms, to be worn beginning with the 2015–16 season. The new uniforms remained white at home and green on the road, but red is now replaced by cream. The 'Milwaukee' city name also returned to the road uniforms for the first time since 1976. In addition, the jerseys feature a unique color block pattern on the sides, titled the "Cream City Rainbow". The pattern consists of the team's new colors of green, cream, royal blue and black, which the Bucks described as an homage to the "Irish Rainbow" design of the 1980s. Blue was also included inside the collar, representing Milwaukee and Wisconsin's "blue collar" citizens, while the inscription "Fear the Deer" was written on the bottom left upside down. The back collar features a small gold tab above the NBA logo, commemorating the Bucks'
1971 * The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses ( February 25, July 22 and August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 10, and August 6). The world population increased by 2.1% this year, the highest increase in history. Events Ja ...
and
2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October–November 2021 ...
NBA championships. On October 3, 2015, the Milwaukee Bucks unveiled a new black alternate uniform. The uniforms still feature the trim and the "Cream City Rainbow" on the sides, with the new Bucks logo in the center and the uniform number placed between the antlers of the logo. In conjunction with the unveiling of the uniform, dubbed the "Fear the Deer uniform", the team also unveiled a new alternate court design, a first in NBA history. The team planned to wear the black alternate uniform and play on the alternate court design for at least four home games during the 2015–16 season. In 2017, as part of the NBA's new protocol for uniforms, with each team allotted 5 different uniform sets, the Bucks added to their regular home (now "Association" white) and road (now "Icon" green) uniforms, as well as their alternate black ("Statement") uniforms. For their retro uniform, the Bucks went with a replica version of their inaugural home uniforms from 1968 to 1970, as part of the Bucks celebrating their 50th season in the NBA. In addition, the Bucks were also given new "City" uniforms, conceived by Nike as a way of commemorating each of the NBA teams' city history and pride. The "City" uniforms, dubbed "Cream City" uniforms, featured cream-colored jerseys and shorts, with the "Cream City Rainbow" running horizontally along the front of the uniform, with the Bucks logo in the middle. The "Cream City Rainbow" was also on the shorts, shaped in an "M" on both sides that are part of the regular Bucks' uniform design. For the 2018–19 season, Milwaukee's "City" uniform will pay homage to Robert Indiana's famous MECCA court, featuring yellow, beige and red as base colors and light blue and forest green on the hem of the shorts. "Bucks" is written vertically on the right while the number is on the left; both are in forest green with lime green trim. The Bucks would also wear an "Earned" uniform by virtue of qualifying in the 2018 playoffs; this uniform is essentially the "City" uniform but with the visual elements of red with green stripes, inspired from the 1977–1985 "Irish Rainbow" home uniform. The Bucks made slight updates to the black "Statement" uniform prior to the 2019–20 season. It was essentially a black version of the team's 2017–18 "City" uniform, with the exception of the "Fear the Deer" insignia on the beltline and near the jock tag. The Bucks' 2019–20 "City" uniform again used a cream base, this time with a stylized "Cream City" wordmark in front. Blue, cream and green stripes run through the piping while a giant "M" insignia is featured on the shorts. These uniforms are a nod to the team’s fondness of the cream-colored brick buildings which surround the city of Milwaukee. The 2020–21 Bucks "City" uniform used three shades of Great Lakes Blue as its base color. The uniform was a nod to Milwaukee's meaning as "the gathering place by the water" due to the city's location at the confluence of the
Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...
, Menomonee and Kinnickinnic rivers flowing into
Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...
. As in 2019, the Bucks were given an "Earned" uniform after making the 2020 playoffs. This design, with a predominantly green base, featured "Bucks," the uniform number and piping in white with black trim, and stylized antlers on each side. The 2021–22 Bucks "City" uniform combined different elements of each of the Bucks' different uniform designs during their history, as part of the NBA's 75th season celebration. The jersey is white, with arched block letters, similar to their first uniforms. The sides featured the different shades of green from the team's "Irish Rainbow" uniform, as well as one line of blue from their current "Cream City Rainbow". Down the rest of the side of the jersey is purple, from the team's uniforms of the late 1990s, early 2000s. Starting with the 2022–23 season, the green "Earned" uniform worn in 2021 became the basis of the team's new black "Statement" uniform. Also during the season, the Bucks' "City" uniform paid homage to the Bronzeville neighborhood, featuring a blue base, cream trim and rainbow side stripes of black, blue, cream and green. The team chose replicas of their 2000–01 purple road uniforms for their "Classic" uniform. For the 2023–24 "City" uniform, the Bucks wore a blue-based uniform with cream and green accents; the cream curving stripes surrounding the blue "Milwaukee" wordmark were meant to represent the Fiserv Forum architecture. The design was inspired by the fans that flood the neighborhood in Deer District, and were represented by light blue speckles.


Season-by-season record

''List of the last five seasons completed by the Bucks. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Milwaukee Bucks seasons.'' ''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, W–L% = Winning percentage''


Personnel


Current roster


Retained draft rights

The Bucks hold the draft rights to the following unsigned draft picks who have been playing outside the NBA. A drafted player, either an international draftee or a college draftee who is not signed by the team that drafted him, is allowed to sign with any non-NBA team. In this case, the team retains the player's draft rights in the NBA until one year after the player's contract with the non-NBA team ends. This list includes draft rights that were acquired from trades with other teams.


Basketball Hall of Famers

Notes: * 1 In total, Robertson was inducted into the Hall of Fame twice – as player and as a member of the 1960 Olympic team. * 2 Inducted as contributor for being the first
African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
to manage a team in the NBA. He also played for the team in 1968–1969.


FIBA Hall of Famers


Retired numbers

* The NBA retired Bill Russell's No. 6 for all its member teams on August 11, 2022.


General manager history


Head coaches


Franchise records


Home arenas

* Milwaukee Arena/Mecca Arena (1968–1988, plus one commemorative game in the 2017–18 season) **
Wisconsin Field House The Wisconsin Field House (commonly known as the UW Field House) is a multi-purpose arena owned by the University of Wisconsin–Madison and located directly south of Camp Randall Stadium. In addition to sports events, the Field House has been the ...
(occasional games, 1968–1975) *
Bradley Center The Bradley Center (also known as the BMO Harris Bradley Center under sponsorship agreements) was a multi-purpose arena located on the northwest corner of North Vel R. Phillips Ave. and West State Streets in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United ...
(1988–2018) * Fiserv Forum (2018–present)


Radio and television

Since the 2007–08 season, all Bucks games not nationally broadcast have aired exclusively on regional cable television over
Bally Sports Wisconsin Bally Sports Wisconsin (BSWI) is an American regional sports network owned by Diamond Sports Group, and operates as an affiliate of Bally Sports. Operating as the "Wisconsin" sub-feed of Fox Sports North until 2007, the channel was known as Fox S ...
. In 2018 the Bucks agreed to a seven-year extension with the network. Selected games also air on the BS Wisconsin Plus feed, in case of
Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
conflicts. Bucks games produced by Bally Sports are also carried on the
Bally Sports app The Bally Sports app is the video streaming service of the former Fox Sports Networks, now Bally Sports regional sports networks. The app replaces Fox Sports Go (FSGO), the app of the former Fox Sports Networks. The service is available for custo ...
within the team's broadcast territory. Prior to the Bally Sports Wisconsin exclusivity, the Bucks split their television broadcasts between Fox Sports Wisconsin (which through various incarnations have televised Bucks games since 1996) and WCGV (Channel 24) from 1999 to 2007, and prior that, WVTV (Channel 18) was the over-the-air partner from 1994 to 1999. WCGV also previously carried Bucks games from 1988 to 1994, and WVTV again, this time from 1976 to 1988; these two stations are currently owned by the
Sinclair Broadcast Group Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. (SBG) is a publicly traded American telecommunications conglomerate that is controlled by the descendants of company founder Julian Sinclair Smith. Headquartered in the Baltimore suburb of Cockeysville, Maryland, t ...
, who also own Bally Sports. During each station's tenures as the over-the-air TV home of the Bucks, the telecasts consisted of almost exclusively road games; very few Bucks home games on either station were televised through the years, as the Bucks were one of the last NBA teams to televise home games regularly. The Bucks, along with their respective TV partners, co-produced and distributed the over-the-air telecasts to stations throughout Wisconsin. In the franchise's early years, Bucks games were carried on then-
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
affiliate
WITI Witiness Chimoio João Quembo (born 26 August 1996), known as Witi, is a Mozambican professional footballer who plays for Portuguese club C.D. Nacional as a winger. Club career Born in Beira, Witi began his career with Sporting Club da Be ...
(Channel 6), from 1968 to 1971, and on then- CBS affiliate WISN-TV (Channel 12) from 1971 to 1976; both respective runs also coincided with NBA coverage already carried by their networks at the time:
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...
(1965–1973) and CBS (1973–1990). The two stations swapped networks in March 1977, with WISN since remaining with ABC, and WITI switching from CBS to
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelve sp ...
in December 1994. Until his 2021 retirement,
Jim Paschke Jim Paschke (born November 21, 1950) is an American retired sportscaster. Paschke has handled play-by-play duties for a wide array of sports at all levels, but is most recognized for his work as the Milwaukee Brewers television announcer (1987– ...
was the team's television play-by-play announcer since 1986, with former Buck Jon McGlocklin providing color commentary for the team from 1976 to 2018. From 2015 to 2018, veteran announcer Gus Johnson called selected games alongside Paschke on a rotating basis. During that time, former Buck Marques Johnson also was in the booth for selected games, but became the new permanent color commentator for the 2018–19 season when the team moved to the Fiserv Forum. Veteran sportscaster Eddie Doucette served as the team's original play-by-play voice, working in that capacity from 1968 to 1984; he also called selected Bucks games on WITI, WISN-TV, and during most of WVTV's first tenure with the Bucks. He and McGlocklin also co-founded the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer (MACC) Fund in 1976, which raises money to help cancer research. In 2021, the team named
Lisa Byington Lisa Byington (born May 18, 1976) is a play-by-play announcer, studio host, and feature producer/reporter. She has broadcast games for Fox Sports (United States), Fox Sports, Fox Sports 1, FS1, Big Ten Network, CBS, Turner Sports, Pac-12 Networ ...
as their new television play-by-play announcer, making her the first woman to be the lead TV play-by-play announcer for a team in any of the four men's professional leagues. On the radio side the team has been carried by WTMJ (620/103.3) and throughout the state on the
Milwaukee Bucks Radio Network The Milwaukee Bucks Radio Network (branded as the BMO Bucks Radio Network) is a 16-station radio network in Wisconsin and Michigan that broadcasts basketball games and related programming for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Associat ...
(which is sponsored by BMO Harris) for most of the team's history. Dave Koehn announces, with former Wisconsin Badgers Basketball Player Ben Brust providing color.


References


External links

* {{Portal bar, Basketball, Wisconsin NBA teams Basketball teams established in 1968 1968 establishments in Wisconsin