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In 1968, the NBA awarded a franchise to a Milwaukee Group interested in bringing professional basketball back to Milwaukee. Without a team name, fans were called on for help and more than 14,000 responded with their suggestions. With 45 people suggesting Bucks, they helped secure an enduring nickname for the Milwaukee Bucks. A note for NBA historians, the Phoenix Suns joined the NBA the same year as the Milwaukee Bucks.
In their first year in the league as an expansion team, the Milwaukee Bucks would go on to be the worst team in the Eastern Division. However this ranking lead to the top draft pick in UCLA star Lew Alcindor, who made an immediate impact on the team, becoming Rookie of the Year in 1969.
The best season for the Milwaukee Bucks came in the 1970/71 season, when the team became the fastest expansion team to win the NBA Championship.
One of eight teams in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the NBA, the Milwaukee Bucks, reached the NBA Finals again in 1974, but didn?t come out on top. During the 1980?s the Milwaukee Bucks were lead by such greats as Bob Lanier and Sidney Moncrief. Winning 50+ games, the Milwaukee Bucks captured the division title for seven consecutive seasons during that decade. The dominating Celtics or 76ers would go on to beat the Milwaukee Bucks each of these years. That domination began to disappear in the 90?s - The Milwaukee Bucks had their worst season in 1993/94, ending at 20-62.
The following season, the Bucks won the NBA lottery and were awarded the 1st overall pick in the draft, the second of three times in their history. The Milwaukee Bucks chose Purdue?s Glenn ?Big Dog? Robinson with the number one pick. Robinson helped lead the Milwaukee Bucks to the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2000/01 season ? their first conference finals trip since the 1985/86 season.
More recently, Utah Center Andrew Bogut (the third #1 pick in the Bucks history), has been a bright spot on the Milwaukee Bucks. Bogut made an immediate impact helping the Milwaukee Bucks reach the NBA playoffs in 2005/06 season. Bogut joins David Robinson, Chris Webber and Tim Duncan as just the fourth number one overall draft pick since 1985 to help lead his team to the NBA Playoffs in his rookie season. Quite an accomplishment for both the Australian and the Milwaukee Bucks.
Bought by extraordinary wealthy Wisconsin Senator Herb Kohl in 1985, the Milwaukee Bucks were ensured a long future in Milwaukee. The purchase eliminated the rumors the team would be bought by out of town investors and moved to another market. Moving forward to 2003, Kohl considered an offer by Michael Jordan to purchase the team, but decided against it renewing his dedication to making the team the best it can be.
The Milwaukee Bucks have played in two venues, The Mecca from 1968-1988 and The Bradley Center from 1988 to the present. There have been nine head coaches of the Milwaukee Bucks, none with the position longer than 10 seasons (Head Coach Don Nelson). Currently, Terry Stotts is the Head Coach of the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Milwaukee Bucks have 9 Hall of Famers who played on the team: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar C 1969-1975, Nate Archibald G 1983/84, Dave Cowens C 1982/83, Alex English F 1976-1978, Bob Lanier C 1979-1984, Moses Malone C 1991-1993, Oscar Robertson G 1970-1974 and Julius ?Dr. J? Erving 1972.
The Milwaukee Bucks have retired the following numbers: Oscar Robinson (1), Junior Bridgeman (2), Sidney Moncrief (4), Jon McGlocklin (14), Bob Lanier (16), Brian Winters (32) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (33). There have been just four General Managers of the Milwaukee Bucks: Wayne Embry, Bob Weinhauer, Ernie Grunfeld and Larry Harris (current GM).
Since 1993, the Milwaukee Bucks? team colors are purple, green and silver, although starting in the 2006/07 season, the Milwaukee Bucks are planning a new logo, a new color scheme and new uniform. The original Milwaukee Bucks logo featured a caricature of a buck wearing a sweater emblazoned with the letter B and spinning a basketball on one hoof while sitting on top of the words Milwaukee Bucks. That has since been replaced by a fierce looking eight-point Buck.
Milwaukee Bucks fans create a loud and boisterous home-court advantage for their team at the Bradley Center when the team is playing well and winning. During a Milwaukee Bucks game, fans also enjoy the Energee! Dance team, Bango, the Milwaukee Bucks? mascot, and Streetlife, the house band.
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