MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Bucks are on the brink of making history as they return to the NBA Finals, which always warrants a trip down memory lane.
While the team’s recent success may have brought in new fans to the Bucks fanbase, the franchise’s 53-year history is just as interesting as its present.
With that in mind, here’s a crash course on the most interesting aspects of Bucks history.
The Milwaukee Bucks were founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and won the 1971 NBA championship in just their third season, sweeping the Baltimore Bullets in the Finals, 4-0. They’re still the fastest expansion team to win a title in the four major U.S. pro sports.
The Bucks lost the first game in franchise history to the Chicago Bulls, 89-84, on Oct. 16, 1968 at Milwaukee Arena.
Jon McGlocklin scored the first points in franchise history on a jump shot against the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 16, 1968.
The first win in team history was over the Detroit Pistons, 134-118, on Oct. 31, 1968 at Milwaukee Arena.
The Bucks picked Lew Alcindor of UCLA, later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, after winning a coin flip over the Phoenix Suns for the 1st pick of the 1969 NBA Draft.
Lew Alcindor was the NBA Finals MVP for the 1971 title team. A day after winning, he changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Charlie Paulk of Northeastern State University was the team’s first draft pick. He was the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 1968 draft. After one season, Paulk was drafted by the U.S. Army to serve in the Vietnam War.
Hall of Fame guard Oscar Robertson came to the Bucks in a 1970 trade with Cincinnati, which saw the Bucks trade away Paulk, the first player they ever drafted, along with Flynn Robinson.
Larry Costello was the team’s first coach and led the 1971 championship team. He resigned during his ninth season in 1976 as the only Bucks coach to guide the team to a championship win.
Wayne Embry became the first Black general manager in the history of the NBA when he was hired. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.
The team has retired 9 jersey numbers so far: Oscar Robertson (1), Junior Bridgeman (2), Sidney Moncrief (4), Marques Johnson (8), Bob Dandridge (10), Jon McGlocklin (14), Bob Lanier (16), Brian Winters (32) and Abdul-Jabbar (33).
Abdul-Jabbar (1969), Kent Benson (1977), Glenn Robinson (1994) and Andrew Bogut (2005) were the four players the Bucks have picked with No. 1 overall picks in the NBA Draft.
Abdul-Jabbar (1971, ‘72, ‘74) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (2019, ‘20) are the only Bucks players to win the NBA Most Valuable Player award.
Sidney Moncrief (1983, ’84) and Antetokounmpo (2020) are the only Bucks who have won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.
Abdul-Jabbar (1970) and Malcolm Brogdon (2017) are the only Bucks rookies to win NBA Rookie of the Year award.
Antetokounmpo (2017) is the only Buck to win the NBA Most Improved Player award.
When the Bucks drafted Antetokounmpo in 2013, he was one of the youngest players in NBA history at 18 years, 311 days on draft day.
Don Nelson (1983, ‘85) and Mike Budenholzer (2019) both won the NBA Coach of the Year award while coaching the Bucks.
Michel Redd owns the franchise record for most points scored in a single game, scoring 57 points against the Utah Jazz on Nov. 11, 2006. The Jazz would win the game, 113-111.
Abdul-Jabbar holds the franchise record for most points scored with the Bucks, with 14,211 over his time with the Bucks.
Jrue Holiday came to the Bucks in a four-team trade on November 23, 2020. The team gave up Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, 2020 first-round pick R.J. Hampton and two future first-round draft picks.
Current Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer has won the NBA Coach of the Year award twice, winning the award in 2019 with the Bucks and with the Atlanta Hawks in 2015.
Herb Kohl bought the Bucks in 1985 and went on to own the team for 29 seasons, until selling in 2014. Kohl was also a U.S. Senator from 1989-2013. Marc Lasry and Wes Edens bought the team from Herb Kohl in 2014. Jamie Dinan and Michael D. Fascitelli later joined as majority owners.
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers became a minority owner of the Bucks in 2018.
The Bucks ended a 47-year championship appearance drought by making the NBA Finals in 2021. The last time they played in the Finals was 1974, which they lost 4-3 to the Boston Celtics. The 47-year drought between championship appearances was the fourth-longest streak in the NBA when it ended.