History

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Three years ago, I ranked every Bucks jersey in franchise history.   Two years ago, the Bucks unveiled a few new kits. The other day, they   made a little addition to the existing versions. All of this is to say,   it is time to re-do the all-time rankings.

Here is some great background on the history of the Bucks  logo and nickname, dating back to the start of the franchise in 1968, including  logo history.

The Jersey: 1971-72 to 1974-75 (Home)
  Pictured: Kareem  Abdul-Jabbar

The Jersey: 2006-07  to 2009-10 (Road)
  Pictured: Earl  Boykins

The Jersey: 2006-07  to 2009-10 (Home)
  Pictured: Jerry  Stackhouse

The Jersey: 1994-95  to 2000-01 (Home)
  Pictured: Shawn  Respert

The Jersey: 1994-95  to 2000-01 (Road)
  Pictured: Ray  Allen

The Jersey: 2001-02  to 2005-06 (Home)
  Pictured: Toni  Kukoc

The Jersey: 2001-02  to 2005-06 (Road)
  Pictured: Michael  Redd

The Jersey:  1975-76 to 1976-77 (Home)
  Pictured:  Junior Bridgeman

The Jersey: 1995-96  to 1998-99 (Road)
  Pictured: Glenn  Robinson

The Jersey:  2008-09 to Present (Road)
  Pictured:  Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Jersey:  1968-69 to 1971-72 (Road)
  Pictured: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

The Jersey: 1968-69 to 1971-72 (Home)
Pictured: Bob  Dandridge

The Jersey:  1977-78 to 1984-85 (Road)
  Pictured: Alton  Lister

The Jersey:  1977-78 to 1984-85 (Home)
  Pictured:  Brian Winters

The Jersey: 1975-76 to 1976-77  (Road)
  Pictured:  Elmore Smith

The Jersey:  1976-77 to 1977-78 (Home)
  Pictured:  Quinn Buckner

The Jersey:  1976-77 to 1977-78 (Road)
  Pictured:  Dave Meyers

The Jersey:  1973-74 to 1974-75 (Road)
  Pictured:  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

The Jersey:  2015 to Present (Home)
  Pictured:  Jason Terry

The Jersey:  2015 to Present (Road)
  Pictured:  Malcolm Brogdon

The Jersey:  1986-87 to 1992-93 (Road)
  Pictured:  Ricky Pierce

The Jersey:  1986-87 to 1992-93 (Home)
  Pictured:  Paul Pressey

The Jersey:  2015 to Present (Alternate)
  Pictured:  Giannis Antetokounmpo

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Bucks Jersey Rankings Update

milwaukee-bucks-home-road-jersey-history

Milwaukee Bucks Home & Road Jersey History

oscar-robertson

Oscar Robertson

A Hall-of-Fame victory tour  for a Milwaukee icon passed through the community Monday.

Eddie Doucette, who became  the original radio voice of Milwaukee Bucks basketball in 1968, received the  Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame’s Curt Gowdy Media Award in the  Electronic Media category during the Hall of Fame enshrinement events last September.  The award is presented annually to members of the print and electronic media  whose longtime efforts have made a significant contribution to the game of  basketball.

Doucette reunited with such  fellow Bucks legends as Jon McGlocklin, Bob Dandridge and Sidney Moncrief (yes,  “Jonny Mac,” “The Greyhound,” and “Sir Sidney”) at Brookfield’s Westmoor  Country Club for the franchise’s annual golf tournament to benefit the Cystic  Fibrosis Foundation of Wisconsin. The event has raised more than $1 million for  the charity.

Though Doucette’s  Hall-of-Fame induction took place over a year ago, he remains humbled by his  inclusion in the shrine honoring basketball’s all-time greats.

“To receive that kind of  award – going into the Hall of Fame media section – in my business, I don’t  know what could rank above that,” Doucette said in that unmistakable voice,  which became a household fixture for Bucks fans spanning the franchise’s first  16 years. “Just being around those folks and seeing a lot of people I hadn’t  seen in a while was great.

“I’m going from here to a  Hall of Fame event down in Phoenix, so I get to see people from that light. It’s  a terrific opportunity and a terrific honor. The best part of the whole  experience was having my family with me. I have grandchildren who never paid  much attention to what their dad or granddad did, so to have that kind of  audience was really special.”

Doucette’s unforgettable  visit to Springfield, Mass., last September included some memorable meetings.

“The commissioner (David  Stern, who has since retired from the post) has always been a big supporter of  mine,” Doucette said. “He had some really nice things to say. Hubie Brown was  there, and he was really happy for me. He said some very nice things to me.

“There were other notables –  even Dick Vitale came over and put his arm around me and gave me a hug. It’s  always nice to see people I worked with, players I watched who came up to me  and said, ‘Hi,’ or ‘Congratulations.’”

Doucette’s Hall induction  had a profound impact on him.

“You go through life every  day and do your job and a lot of people will say, ‘Hey, hi, how are you?’ and  that sort of thing, but you don’t really get the feeling that there’s respect  involved,” he said. “That’s really the only thing you can take with you when you  leave this earth.

“If you’ve done the right  thing and done your job to the best of your ability and people recognize that  and honor you for it, that’s a great feeling.”

The Bucks honored Doucette  for his Hall induction with a bobblehead night last season.

“The night they had my  bobblehead night in Milwaukee, I was doing a game, so I couldn’t make it back,”  said Doucette, who lives in the San Diego, Calif. “I went home after the game.  Later that night, Jon McGlocklin (Doucette’s close friend and former broadcast  partner) called me at home and said, ‘Well, you did it.’

“I said, ‘I did what? What  are you talking about?’”

“And Jon said, ‘You set a  record for the longest line of people giving their bobbleheads back.’”

It seems respect must come  with a statute of limitations these days.

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Voice-over in Brookfield

Everyone gets  dressed in the morning, everyone has a favorite Bucks jersey and a least  favorite Bucks jersey, and everyone has very strong feelings about this.

Some like the  originals, some like the purple, some like the green-on-green, some like the current  alternate reds, some like the old-school cursive. Some want to go back to  something from long ago, some want something very completely new.

Owners Marc  Lasry and Wesley Edens are a part of this group of everyone, they have some  strong feelings about jerseys, and they also have a bit of power to do  something about it.

In a recent  radio interview with 1250 WSSP, Lasry hinted at considering  a change in the traditional red, green, and silver team colors.

It should be  noted that these things cannot happen overnight. There is some administrative  red (green? purple? black? silver? orange?) tape including going through league  approval, so any potential color change and jersey change will take some time.  There are also plenty of higher priority items right now, so even if the team does embrace a  new color scheme or jersey, don’t expect to see it for at least a few years.

That said, this  is a great excuse to write about a fun topic, and look back at old jerseys, and  think about new ones.

In all, the  Bucks have worn 20 different jerseys. This is the part of the story where my  favorite jerseys are ranked by me in reverse order accompanied by an enjoyable photo.

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Bucks Jersey Rankings

The Bucks almost  never move up in the lottery, which works out just fine this year.

In 14  previous trips to the draft lottery since the weighted system was introduced in  1990, the Bucks have moved up just twice, moved down five times, and stayed the  same seven times.

Now the Bucks  carry the lead position and a 25.0% chance to land the first overall pick into  the draft lottery on May 20.

With that in  mind, here is a quick journey through the fate of previous top lottery spot  holders since 1990.

1990  – Nets – #1 – Derrick Coleman

He was a  dominant college player, won Rookie of the Year, became an All-Star, and  averaged 20 and 10 over five seasons with the Nets. Coleman was the very  reasonable choice, though here is where someone might mention Gary Payton (#2).

1991  – Nuggets – #4 – Dikembe Mutombo

They missed  out on Larry Johnson (#1), Kenny Anderson (#2), and Billy Owens (#3), but this  is a swell example of falling into a better position. Mutombo was the best  player in this draft, and he gave the Nuggets some of his prime years.

1992  – Timberwolves – #3 – Christian Laettner

Perhaps the  Timberwolves are not thrilled. Shaquille O’Neal (#1) was the prize and Alonzo  Mourning (#2) was the consolation. Laettner had a nice first year in Minnesota  and turned in a solid career, but this one hurts a bit.

1993  – Mavericks – #4 – Jamal Mashburn

Not the best  time to slide, as the Mavericks did not have a chance at Chris Webber (#1) or  Penny Hardaway (#3). Dallas has been so good for so long that it is difficult  to remember just how bad they were in the early 1990s. They went 11-71, by far  the worst in the league, to earn the top shot at the number one pick, and then  remained the worst in the league at 13-69 after drafting Mashburn.

1994  – Mavericks – #2 – Jason Kidd

This was the  year the Bucks jumped from four to one and picked Glenn Robinson.  Dallas chose Kidd over Grant Hill (#3), and though Kidd is a one of the greats,  it didn’t work for him with the Mavericks, and he was traded to the Suns in his  third year.

1995  – Clippers – #2 – Antonio McDyess

McDyess ended  up with a comparable career to Joe Smith (#1), so falling to number two didn’t  really make a difference. Kevin Garnett (#5) was the real hit of the draft, but  he was re-starting the preps-to-pros route and GMs weren’t quite ready to  embrace.

Note: The  Grizzlies actually had the worst record going into this draft, but the Raptors  and Grizzlies were ineligible to win the lottery in their first three years due  to their expansion agreements. On to Iverson, who was an MVP, who carried a  76ers team to the Finals whose second best player was… Aaron McKie? Even though  the 76ers technically did not get the top overall player from this draft class,  this is pretty much exactly what you want.

1997  – Celtics – #3 – Chauncey Billups

In a year  with an obvious best player waiting at the top of the draft, the Celtics went  all-in on being the worst team in the NBA. Unfortunately for Boston, they fell  to third while the Spurs jumped to first and picked Tim Duncan (#1). They were  fine missing out on Keith Van Horn (#2), but they dealt Billups way before he  turned into a premier point guard.

1998  – Nuggets – #3 – Raef Lafrentz

Quite a  draft. The Clippers went with Michael Olowokandi (#1) and then the Grizzlies  picked Mike Bibby (#2). Despite falling in the lottery, the Nuggets still had a  chance at guys like Dirk Nowitzki (#9), Vince Carter (#5), Paul Pierce (#10),  and Antawn Jamison (#4).

1999  – Grizzlies – #2 – Steve Francis

Elton Brand  (#1) had some fantastic peak seasons, and he was a very good player immediately  in the pros and for his first eight seasons. He was even still out there for  the Hawks in the playoffs this season too. Francis, that didn’t go over so well  for the Grizzlies. He forced his way out, and the Grizzlies really had little  to show for this.

2000  – Clippers – #3 – Darius Miles

The infamous  2000 draft, also, the Michael Redd draft. Kenyon Martin (#1) was the consensus top pick, and he  did well, though injuries robbed him of more. Stromile Swift (#2) did not. The  Miles pick was fun and even sensible, a worthy gamble.

The Bulls  missed out on Kwame Brown (#1), Tyson Chandler (#2), and Pau Gasol (#3). But  then they made a draft day trade built around Elton Brand to acquire Chandler.  The Bulls went through three different coaches in the first season (21-61) of  the Curry/Chandler frontcourt, and it never really worked out. Curry peaked in  his second season when he led the league in field goal percentage, and Chandler  peaked after his five seasons in Chicago.

2002  – Bulls/Warriors – #2 Jay Williams (Bulls) – #3 Mike Dunleavy (Warriors)

Yao Ming (#1)  was the consensus top player.

2003  – Cavaliers/Nuggets – #1 LeBron James (Cavaliers) – #3 Carmelo Anthony  (Nuggets)

The Nuggets  missed out on James (#1) and Darko Milicic (#2), which is like missing out on  two very, very different things.

The last top  lottery team to actually win the lottery, and the Magic picked a good year for  good fortune.

2005  – Hawks – #2 – Marvin Williams

Moving up  from six all the way to one, the Bucks picked Andrew Bogut (#1). Williams, the  consensus number two prospect, has not been the equal of either Bogut or the  two players drafted after him, Deron Williams (#3) and Chris Paul (#4). Not the  best lottery luck (or pick) for Atlanta in this one.

2006  – Trail Blazers – #4 – Tyrus Thomas

Portland  missed out on Andrea Bargnani (#1), Lamarcus Aldridge (#2), and Adam Morrison  (#3). But they pulled off a very nice draft day trade that swapped Thomas for  Aldridge, so this was a good day, they ended up with the best player among the  top four picks.

This draft.  The Grizzlies picked a good player in Conley, but they also missed out on Kevin  Durant (#2) and Al Horford (#3)… and Greg Oden (#1). Meanwhile, the Bucks moved  down from three to six and ended up with Yi Jianlian (#6). The Sonics were the  real winners, moving all the way up from five to two to draft Durant. When you  hear about the Thunder Model, please understand that the first part and most  important part of the “plan” was lucking into Durant. That is not intended to  be swipe at the team at all, rather, it is a declaration of the role of luck  inherent in this game. They have made the most of it, mostly.

2008  – Heat – #2 – Michael Beasley

Somewhat  similar to the draft this year, this one was filled with a row of hyped freshmen,  including Derrick Rose (#1), Michael Beasley (#2), O.J. Mayo (#3), Kevin Love  (#5), and Eric Gordon (#7). Of course there is massive variation in how we see  these players now, just like there probably will be about the top prospects from  this upcoming draft a few years down the line.

Evans  actually won Rookie of the Year after a 20-5-5 line back in 2009, but he  plateaued right then and there. In the meantime, Blake Griffin (#1) and James  Harden (#3) turned into superstars. There was also Hasheem Thabeet (#2).

Big  difference between John Wall (#1) and Evan Turner (#2). In any event, the Nets  traded Favors in his rookie year to the Jazz in a deal to get Deron Williams.

2011  – Timberwolves – #2 – Derrick Williams

This draft  class is still trying to find its way, and Williams is among the leaders in  being lost. Kyrie Irving (#1) is very good at basketball, to be determined how  very good.

2012  – Bobcats – #2 – Michael Kidd-Gilchrist

These Bobcats  were one of the worst teams in modern history, and they were rewarded with the  number two pick in a draft with one great prospect, Anthony Davis (#1).

2013  – Magic – #2 – Victor Oladipo

As it is, the  number two spot – Anthony Bennett (#1) – was probably the best spot for  Orlando.

bucks-lottery-history

Bucks Lottery History

BACK ROW: Trainer Arnie Garber, Greg Smith, Marvin Winkler, Jeff Webb, Bob Grecean, Gary Freeman, Assistant Coach Tom Nissalke, Head Coach Larry Costello. FRONT ROW: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jon McGlocklin, Lucius Allen, McCoy McLemore, Bill Zompf, Bob Dandridge, Oscar Robertson, Dick Cunningham.

No expansion team in pro sports history earned a championship quicker than the Bucks, who captured the 1971 NBA title in just their third season of existence. The 1970-71 Bucks posted a 66-16 regular-season mark under Coach Larry Costello. In the postseason, they beat San Francisco (4-1) and the Los Angeles Lakers (4-1) before sweeping Baltimore in four straight for the title.

REGULAR SEASON (66-16) - 1ST, MIDWEST DIVISION - PLAYOFFS (12-2, CHAMPIONS)

Beat San Francisco, Conference Semifinals, 4-1

Beat Baltimore, NBA Championship Finals, 4-0

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – NBA Most Valuable Player, NBA All-Star Team, All-NBA Team, and All-Defensive Second Team