Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team that plays in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The team competes in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The Bucks play in the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
The Bucks entered the NBA for the 1968-1969 season. They were one of the dominant teams in the NBA during the first half of the 1970’s. The team won its division title five times in the six seasons from 1970 to 1976. Milwaukee won the NBA championship in 1970-1971 and made the NBA finals in 1973-1974. These teams were led by center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and guard Oscar Robertson, two of the greatest players in NBA history. Other stars included forward Bob Dandridge and guard Jon McGlocklin.
The Bucks fielded powerful teams from 1979 through 1986, winning their division seven consecutive seasons. The leading players on those teams included guards Sidney Moncrief, Junior Bridgeman, and Brian Winters; center Bob Lanier; and forwards Terry Cummings and Paul Pressey. The Bucks declined during most of the 1990’s. However, the team won the division championship in 2000-2001 behind guards Sam Cassell and Ray Allen and forward Glenn Robinson. The team struggled during the rest of the decade but did make the playoffs four times. The 2009-2010 playoff team was led by center Andrew Bogut and rookie guard Brandon Jennings.
The team made the playoffs again in 2012-2013, led by Jennings and guard Monta Ellis. In 2013, Milwaukee drafted Giannis Antetokounmpo, a 6-foot-11-inch (2.11-meter) player from Greece. Antetokounmpo rapidly became an NBA star, known for his ability to play multiple positions and for his high scoring. Antetokounmpo led the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 Bucks teams to the best record in the Eastern Conference. He was named the league’s most valuable player following both seasons. The 2020-2021 team—behind Antetokounmpo, wing Khris Middleton, and guard Jrue Holiday—defeated the Phoenix Suns to win the NBA championship. The 2022-2023 team had the NBA’s best record but lost in the first round of the playoffs.
