Milwaukee Bucks: All-Time Greatest 15 Man Roster

Glenn Robinson – Second Unit

Words by Jordan Treske

There are many names synonymous with the Bucks but there’s undoubtedly no better nickname in the Bucks franchise than the “Big Dog.”

Glenn Robinson carved out quite a prestigious basketball career even before he made to the NBA.

Among the high marks that Robinson attained at his time at Purdue University was becoming the nation’s leading scorer with over 30 points per game (along with 11.2 rebounds per game), that resulted in him being named a first-team All-American, as well earning the famed Naismith Award and the John R. Wooden award during the 1993-94 NCAA basketball season.

It was that extraordinary season that culminated in Robinson being selected as the first overall pick by the Bucks in the 1994 NBA draft.

But before Robinson played a minute as a member of the Bucks, he famously held out from signing his rookie contract as he demanded earning a contract worth $100 million.

Robinson eventually backed down before the start of the 1994-95 NBA season, but not before he signed the richest rookie contract in the history of the NBA, worth $68 million over 10 years.

Despite the early friction, Robinson instantly produced and continued to do so throughout his eight years in Milwaukee.

Robinson scored about 21.1 points per game (2nd highest career average in the Bucks franchise, just behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) during his stint as a Buck at a very high efficiency as well, with a field goal percentage of around 46 percent.

While the early Bucks teams with Robinson struggled to find success (with the highest win mark being 36 in the 1997-98 NBA season), it wasn’t until the arrival of George Karl, along with the growth of Ray Allen and the unexpected coming of Sam Cassell which formed the “Big 3” era that Big Dog’s Bucks found prosperity.

During the “Big 3” era, the Bucks attained great team success, while Robinson himself earned his two all-star selections during the 1999-00 and 2000-01 seasons, the latter season resulted in the Bucks going to the Eastern Conference Finals before falling to the Philadelphia 76ers in a seven game series in heartbreaking fashion.

Despite only staying in Milwaukee only one more season before being dealt to Atlanta in the off-season before the 2002-03 NBA season, Robinson’s offensive numbers as a Buck rank high in nearly every major offensive category.

Robinson’s career didn’t last for much longer after he left Milwaukee, with Robinson spending time with Atlanta, Philadelphia and finally San Antonio where he was crowned an NBA champion at the end of the 2004-05 NBA season.

But Robinson’s time with Milwaukee remains his most memorable in his basketball career and his time as a member of the Bucks “Big 3” era remains a gold standard among Bucks fans.

Next: Terry Cummings