Bob Dandridge

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Bob  Dandridge is 67 years old, but his vertical jump reached its apex on the night  of March 7.

Dandridge,  a starting forward on the Milwaukee Bucks’ 1971 NBA championship team, became  the eighth player in franchise history to have his jersey number retired when  his No. 10 was raised to the rafters of the BMO Harris Bradley Center that  night.

The  jersey retirement took place during halftime of the Bucks’ 91-85 victory over  Washington -- the other NBA city for which Dandridge played during his 13 NBA  seasons.

Joining  Dandridge for the ceremony were his family members and friends, former Bucks  teammates Jon McGlocklin, Oscar Robertson, Len Chappell, Sam Williams and Dick  Garrett, and Eddie Doucette, the team’s original radio announcer.

“Some  experiences are OK, some are overwhelming, but this is a humbling experience  because Milwaukee thought enough of me to draft me and give me an opportunity  to play in this league,” Dandridge said after Robertson welcomed him to the  podium. “Milwaukee embraced a kid out of Norfolk State, a Division-II school. I’m  so proud and just blessed.”

The  three-time NBA All-Star spoke earlier about the fondness he quickly developed  for Milwaukee – a fondness that has stood the test of time and kept bringing  him back to visit.

“On  one of my visits to Milwaukee, I went past the Pabst Theater and saw that it  was still standing,” Dandridge said. “I went through the Third Ward and saw all  the renovations and changes. I could see a lot of growth, yet the people here,  from those working in the hotels to the fans, never seem to change.

“Because  of its people, the city of Milwaukee has always maintained a place in my heart  that’s near and dear to me.”

Dandridge entered the NBA in 1969 with little  fanfare as a fourth-round draft choice.

Few  members of the 1969 draft class could match what Dandridge achieved during his  senior college season. He established Norfolk State records for scoring average  (32.0 ppg) and rebound average (17.3 rpg) and set Central Intercollegiate  Athletic Association Tournament records for points in a game (50) and  tournament (114). He was named Most Valuable Player of the CIAA Tournament,  even though his team finished as runner-up.

Milwaukee  was a long way from Norfolk, but Dandridge soon embraced it as his home.

“I came  from a historically black school, so my hangouts were in the inner city of  Milwaukee – Fond du Lac, Locust, up and down 3rd Street, Radio  Doctors,” Dandridge reminisced. “There was a place in the neighborhood called  Toran’s.

“Those  were the types of environments that kind of kept me stable. I knew when I came  downtown there were going to be great fans. There was a place downtown called  Concours Motors that provided us with automobiles. I couldn’t drive, so they  couldn’t give me a car in my first year here.”

Dandridge  has vivid memories of his first year in Milwaukee, during which he rode a city  bus to home games at the Milwaukee Arena.

“I  remember going to my first training camp up at Marquette University in the old  gym with the wood floor and the running track up above,” he said. “Whenever I  pass by Marquette, that’s what I yearn to see, and I wonder if they still use  that. That was a basketball court -- that wood court.

“I  remember going to camp in Janesville, Wisconsin, and coming back in the middle  of September and it being cold. I had come in here from Virginia. That’s when  reality kicked in.”

Dandridge,  fellow 1969 draftee Lew Alcindor, and holdovers from Milwaukee’s 1968-69  expansion team such as McGlocklin, Flynn Robinson and Greg Smith, helped lead  the Bucks on a meteoric rise in their second season, when they won 29 more  games than they did in their flagship season and earned their first playoff  berth under the direction of coach Larry Costello.

One  day after Milwaukee was ousted from the 1970 Eastern Division Finals by the New  York Knicks, the Bucks acquired future Hall-of-Famer Oscar Robertson from the  Cincinnati Royals.

Robertson’s  addition catapulted the team to the top of the basketball world the following  season, when the Bucks posted a 66-16 regular-season record, won the Midwest  Division and went on a 12-2 playoff tear to capture the NBA title.

When  Robertson introduced Dandridge to the crowd Saturday, he gave his former  teammate his endorsement for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. That  praise spoke volumes for Dandridge.

“‘The Big O’ is the one who I primarily  learned from, in terms of patience and being able to pick your spots,”  Dandridge said. “But he was also able to draw everybody into his ultimate plan.  He gave the ball up. At times, he kept it. At times, he dished it out.

“Going down the stretch, the expectation  -- he knew it, Coach Costello knew it and the fans knew it – was that he was  going to take over the game. To be complimented in any way by ‘The Big O,’ who,  in his era – and I just so happened to play in his era – was the best  basketball player who ever played the game, is the ultimate compliment.”

Dandridge,  who stands 6-6, and his running mate at forward, the 6-5 Smith, faced  mismatches of height, weight and strength on a regular basis during the Bucks’  championship season, but they utilized their speed, quickness, jumping ability  and savvy to form an extremely effective partnership.

They  combined for more than 30 points per game, shot over 50 percent from the field,  rebounded and defended with the best players at their positions and, most  importantly, meshed with Alcindor, Robertson, McGlocklin and the rest of their  teammates.

“We  made that work,” Dandridge said. “Neither one of us was capable of guarding a  power forward night-in and night-out because of our size, so we switched off.  This was something Larry Costello didn’t have to tell us.

“We  may have faced Dave DeBusschere one night and Gus Johnson or Paul Silas the  next. Then we’d see Bill Bridges or ‘Happy’ Hairston or ‘Butterbean’ Love. We  also had to face John Havlicek, Billy Cunningham, Chet Walker, Rick Barry,  Connie Hawkins and Lou Hudson.

“There  were no off nights. There were only 12 or 13 teams in the league, so you had to  fight every night.”

Dandridge  was asked what Milwaukee memories he will cherish most.

“Playing in the Milwaukee Arena,” he said.  “The wooden chairs – I don’t know how the chairs were for the fans, but there  were no cushions on our chairs.

“It was just a great environment to be in.  It was not considered a big media center, but the fans here just treated us  great – with a lot of respect. It was amazing going out after a good game,  going to a great restaurant and eating. Maybe not another customer would pick  up the tab, but the owner would pick up the tab.

“This is where I grew into adulthood. I  still have a lot of friends here who I talk to on a regular basis. I come back  two or three times a year – normally in the spring and summer. Some time ago, I  got hooked on golf, and Milwaukee just happens to have the greatest public  courses in the country. And that’s really unbelievable.”

Dandridge  always makes sure he gazes up at the championship banner when he visits the  Bradley Center.

“I  think one thing that is real significant, no matter how young or old you are,  if you’re a Bucks fan, everybody is conscious of the players on the world  championship team and their accomplishments,” Dandridge said. “Young fans today  want to know what our guys have done in the past, and what shoots out is our  championship team.

“I think we accomplished some things and set some milestones in the history of  the franchise. And the people of Milwaukee and Wisconsin have never forgotten  that. I think when you speak of world championships, you speak volumes of a  franchise.”

Dandridge  was asked for his reaction when he learned the Bucks planned to retire his No.  10.

“Overwhelmed. … very pleased,” he replied.  “I could easily say this last, but I know that things happen in God’s time.  This happened at the right time in my life, because I have kids who are of the  age that they understand the significance of the type of award and being  honored in this regard.

“Oftentimes we receive awards when our  kids are 7, 9 years old, but fortunately for me, I’m receiving this at a time  when my entire family can appreciate it.”

Many of the fans in attendance at the BMO  Harris Bradley Center on Saturday had yet to be born when the evening’s guest  of honor played his last game for the Bucks. But they rose in unison with those  who did and made it loud and clear that Milwaukee appreciates Bob Dandridge.

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On a scale of 10

Milwaukee Bucks

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Bob Dandridge Jersey Retirement

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The Greyhound Greets the Media

Here is a guy who played even better in the playoffs than he did in the regular season.* And nearly no one in franchise history was better in the regular season.

You really have to see a player to really appreciate a player in a certain way. Numbers are great. I am always over here writing about numbers. This whole thing is about a number being a number that is so important that no one can wear that number anymore.

And about the numbers in this story. Before you say, these are just a lot of traditional and regular season numbers … well, Bob Dandridge was quite a lot more than someone who accumulated individual numbers in the regular season.

Dandridge was one of the three best players on a championship team, the only championship team in Bucks history, and one of the best NBA teams ever. He scored 21 points in the title-clinching win in Baltimore at age 23, and then for the next three years was the second-leading scorer in each season on teams that respectively went to the conference finals, conference semifinals, and the Finals. He also retired before my original birth day. He makes me want to see a player who does some of the things he did.

(*Dandridge has a better career PER in the playoffs than the regular season, which is quite unusual, especially for a four-time All-Star who put up very good regular season numbers. Thanks to basketball-reference.com for the number magic.)

Below are just 10 of the many Dandridge franchise top-10s.

Robert L. Dandridge will be the eighth Bucks player to have his jersey retired by the team, which means that at this rate of eight jersey retirements every 47 years, the team will run out of (single-digit and double-digit) numbers in the year 2561 or so.

More importantly and less preposterously, Dandridge was one of the three best players on the best team in franchise history, the 1970-71 title-winning team that is probably one of the 10 greatest NBA teams ever. His top “Similarity Scores” (players with careers of similar quality and shape) on basketball-reference.com include names like James Worthy, Carmelo Anthony, Jamaal Wilkes and Terry Cummings. Dandridge is one of the greatest players in franchise history.

Dandridge joins Oscar Robertson (#1), Junior Bridgeman (#2), Sidney Moncrief (#4), Jon McGlocklin (#14), Bob Lanier (#16), Brian Winters (#32) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (#33) in the rafters. No one else in franchise history ever wore #1, #14, #32 or #33.

Here are the players who wore jerseys before they were retired.

Greg Smith and Norm Van Lier suited up in #4 prior to Moncrief. Smith played all 82 games in the 1970-71 championship season, when he finished third on the team in rebounding (7.2 per game) and field goal percentage (.512). Van Lier wore #4 for Milwaukee in 1978-79 in his only season with the team and final season in the NBA, the year just before Moncrief arrived.

Bob WarlickMike DunleavyRory WhiteMike GlennJohn LucasGerald HendersonDanny SchayesTodd DayArmen GilliamSam CassellKeith BogansTyronn LueCarlos DelfinoJoel Przybilla

Quite a crew. Three of these guys are particularly impressive name-drops for the next time you and your friends are going back and forth listing obscure Bucks players, which is sort of an odd and fun thing to do: Bob Warlick made one shot (out of eight) in 22 minutes in the inaugural Bucks season, Rory White played eight games for the Bucks in 1983-84, and Mike Glenn played 44 games for the Bucks to finish his career in 1986-87. Then we have three players whose sons by the same name also went on to suit up in the NBA, in Mike Dunleavy, John Lucas and Gerald Henderson. The Danny Schayes-Todd Day-Armen Gilliam trio is near-maximum 1990s. Gilliam was sporting #10 when Sam Cassell arrived in Milwaukee, so Cassell wore #20 in his first season with the Bucks before switching (also: Cassell was very, very good). Keith Bogans played for nine different NBA teams and Tyronn Lue played for seven different NBA teams (each of them played one season with the Bucks). Delfino had some nice moments wearing the number during Fear The Deer. Przybilla will go down as the last Bucks player to wear the number. He shot 1-4 from the field in 12 games in 2012-13.

These two both wore the number a good decade before Lanier arrived. They both wore a lot of different jersey numbers. In addition to #16, Zaid Abdul-Aziz wore #21, #35, #6, #54 and #27, while Freddie Crawford gave #4, #12, #15 and #11 a try.

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The Players Who Wore Retired Numbers Before They Were Retired

Bob Dandridge Looks Back at Career with the Bucks

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The Milwaukee Bucks today announced that Bob Dandridge's jersey number 10 will be retired in a halftime ceremony of the game on March 7 vs. the Washington Wizards (7:30 p.m. tipoff). Washington is the only other city in which Dandridge played professional basketball. Fellow Bucks legends Oscar Robertson, Wayne Embry, Jon McGlocklin, Sidney Moncrief, Eddie Doucette and other special guests yet to be announced will be in attendance to celebrate the occasion.

Fifteen players have worn number 10, but no Bucks player will wear it again, as it will represent Dandridge in the rafters from here on out. It is the eighth jersey to be retired in Bucks franchise history, and the first since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 33 was retired on April 24, 1993.

"While there is infinite excitement about the future of the Bucks, it's the rich and storied history of this franchise that makes our team so special," said Bucks Co-Owner Wes Edens. "As a player, Bob Dandridge embodied everything we want this franchise to stand for: hard work, passion, toughness, and above all else, excellence. This honor is long overdue, and the entire organization is thrilled to finally put his number in the rafters along with the other legends who have helped shape this franchise."

Dandridge is a four-time NBA All-Star – appearing in the midseason showcase three times as a Buck – who won two NBA Championships in his career: the first with Milwaukee in 1971 and the second with Washington in 1978. The forward was selected out of Norfolk State University by the Bucks with the second pick of the fourth round in the 1969 NBA Draft (45th overall) and put up career averages of 18.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 839 games over 13 seasons in the NBA with the Bucks (1969-77, 1981-82) and Washington Bullets (1977-81). For Milwaukee alone, Dandridge averaged 18.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 618 games over his nine seasons.

The 6-6 forward went to the playoffs eight times in his career averaged 20.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 98 games. In his six postseason appearances with the Bucks, Dandridge averaged 18.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 60 games. He re-signed with Milwaukee as a veteran free agent in November of 1981 to end his career as a Buck.

Dandridge's accomplishments in the league and for the Bucks franchise are numerous. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1970, and NBA All-Defensive First Team and All-NBA Second Team in 1979. He averaged a career-best 21.5 points per game in 1975-76, which ranked ninth in the league that season. His name shows up in nearly every category on the Bucks' all-time leaderboards:

Points – 11,478, 5th
Scoring average (100+ games) – 18.6 ppg, 10th
Games played – 618, 3rd
Minutes played – 22,094, 1st
Field goals made – 4,826, 2nd
Field goals attempted – 9,901, 3rd
Free throws made – 1,826, 6th
Free throws attempted – 2,371, 6th
Rebounds – 4,497, 2nd
Assists – 1,956, 8th

Dandridge joins Oscar Robertson (1), Junior Bridgeman (2), Sidney Moncrief (4), Jon McGlocklin (14), Bob Lanier (16), Brian Winters (32) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (33) as Bucks to have their numbers retired.

"Bob Dandridge was a great player, a great forward. I enjoyed playing with him," said Oscar Robertson, a teammate of Dandridge's from 1970-74. "His contributions were often overlooked, but his value to the team was shown as he played a critical role in helping us win our only NBA Championship in 1971. Years later when he joined the Bullets, he played a critical role in helping them win a Championship. At last his number is finally being retired by the Bucks."

Brian Winters, a teammate from 1975-77 and then again in 1981-82, added: "Bob Dandridge was one of the best players that I had the privilege to play with during my NBA career. He not only was a very good offensive player, but an outstanding defender and teammate. He was a starter on the Bucks Championship team and on the Washington Bullets Championship team. I am very pleased to see that his number is going to be retired in Milwaukee. It is well deserved."

Bob Dandridge

On a scale of 10

Bob Dandridge Jersey Retirement

The Greyhound Greets the Media

#10

The Players Who Wore Retired Numbers Before They Were Retired

Bob Dandridge Looks Back at Career with the Bucks

Bucks to Retire Number 10 in Honor of Bob Dandridge

Bob Dandridge