Milwaukee Bucks: All-Time Greatest 15 Man Roster

Adam McGee

Mar 18, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; The Milwaukee Bucks dance team entertains fans during the game against the San Antonio Spurs at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

It’s finally here! Having counted all the votes, the voices of our readers and our staff have been heard, and we can now reveal your all-time greatest 15 man Milwaukee Bucks roster.

Don Nelson – Coach

Circumstance can be a funny thing, and Nelson’s influence on Milwaukee, and Bucks basketball typified that.

Don Nelson did not want to be the Bucks coach when he took on the job in 1976, he felt he simply wasn’t ready to be an NBA head coach yet, but fate and the team’s then owner Jim Fitzgerald had other ideas, and so began one of the greatest coaching careers the NBA has ever seen.

In an interview with ESPN’s Marc Stein prior to his Hall of Fame induction, Nelson recalled how it all started for him and the Bucks:

"I turned the job down three times, but Fitz made me do it. Larry [Costello] resigned suddenly, but I just wasn’t ready to be a head coach. I was 36 years old. I wanted to coach two or three years with Larry and then Jack Ramsay is the guy I really wanted to work under. I thought after six or seven years I’d know enough to be a head coach. That was my plan. But the third time Fitz said: “Just try it out. We’ll just have a handshake deal, so just try it out and we’ll move on after a year if you don’t like it.” We had a game in two days — they had to get somebody to stand in there — so that’s what we did. We tried it for a year."

After a year, there were signs of progress, and both Nelson and the team came to realize that the arrangement was a match made in heaven both on and off the court.

As Nelson told Tom Enlund in an interview for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel back in April 2012:

"I was a great fit for Milwaukee. I loved to drink beer and hang out and have fun, and I did a lot of that in Milwaukee. After practice, I used to go and have lunch and drink a few beers. Hang out in those establishments and then go back to work and watch more film."

It was in the film room in Milwaukee that Nelson did much of his best work too, coming up with ideas that would revolutionize not only how his team played the game, but how the NBA did as a whole.

If you think of today’s Bucks, much of the switching they do on defense and their exceptional understanding of how to rotate on that side of the ball, can be traced back in NBA history to Nelson’s Milwaukee teams.

Likewise, when Giannis Antetokounmpo takes the ball up the court and initiates plays, he embodies the point forward role that Nellie introduced with players like Marques Johnson and Paul Pressey.

Nelson’s Bucks made the playoffs for eight straight seasons in the 80s never dipping below 50 wins, as a two-way team who were consistently one of the league’s best. That spell included a run of three Conference Finals appearances in four years, although a title would elude Nelson and his troops.

Nellie may not have picked up a ring in Milwaukee or elsewhere as a coach, unlike Larry Costello, but I’m sure it was his continued influence on the way basketball gets played in the city, and his consistent record that saw him get voted as our greatest Bucks coach ever.

Next: Oscar Robertson

Oscar Robertson – Point Guard

It says all that you need to know about Oscar Robertson’s impact on the game when you stop to consider that he was already in decline by the time he came to be a Buck, yet his play in Milwaukee was still nothing short of outstanding.

In order for a team to win, you have to make the weakest link strong. – Oscar Robertson

Robertson’s Bucks were a team loaded with young talent ready to break out. He was the one who was already a superstar, and on course to becoming a bona fide legend of the game, and in that respect his role may actually have been more important than anyone else’s on the team.

Robertson was the old head who had to not only guide his teammates, but also understand when was the right moment for him to step up and take control and when he just needed to get out of the way and let the likes of Alcindor and Dandridge get to work around him.

Robertson discussed this in an interview with Jay Sorgi of WISports.com last April:

"I scored a lot of points before I came here. I realized what was needed, and so I adjusted my game for us to win more basketball games here. It’s all team basketball to a point. Eventually, someone is going to have to shoot the ball and to score in a one-on-one situation. The offenses that are set up, it’s almost like a lot of pick here, move here, do these things. Sometimes, certain people don’t get the ball. Fortunately for us, we had an offense that went into the pivot, went to the forward, went to the other guard, and we just worked it that way."

Robertson is best know by many NBA fans today for his incredible individual statistics, and his eye for a triple-double (averaged one for the 1963-63 season), yet it was this type of attitude that made The Big O the ultimate winner.

In Milwaukee for four years, Robertson racked up over 4,500 points, 2,100 assists and 1,400 rebounds. Most importantly though, he was the addition that helped to push Milwaukee over the edge to claim their first title.

His championship winning teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar feels that Robertson has a legitimate case for being the greatest player ever:

"LeBron is awesome, MJ was awesome, but I think Oscar Robertson would have kicked them both in the behind. He had all the skills. He could rebound and box out guys four and six inches taller than him. He was ruggedly built. He had fluid, quickness, and just understood the game. No flair, he just got the job done every night. Who’s going to average double figures in points, assists and rebounds?"

When you consider his contributions in both Milwaukee and Cincinnati, it’s tough to argue against Robertson’s case too.

Next: Ray Allen

Ray Allen – Shooting Guard

Words by John Heffernon

If shooting the basketball is an art form then there may be no greater artist than Ray Allen.

He’s currently the NBA leader in regular season three-pointers made and attempted and the leader in post season three-pointers made. He also holds the record for consecutive seasons leading the NBA in three-point attempts. Ray has the seventh best free throw shooting percentage, 89.4 percent, in NBA history.

All those great shooting numbers led Ray to being one of the best offensive players of all-time. He is 16th all time in offensive win-shares and 15th all time in offensive box plus/minus at 111.7 and 4.2, respectively.

Ray Allen was drafted fifth overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 1996 Draft and was traded to Milwaukee in a draft day trade. He played just over six and a half seasons for the Bucks, from 1996-97 to 2002-03 (where he was traded after 47 games to the Seattle SuperSonics).

In those six plus years in Milwaukee, Ray Allen’s per game averages were 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.2 steals, and 36.3 minutes. He shot 45 percent on field goals, 41 percent from three point land, and 88 percent from the free throw line. Allen played in 96.3 percent of regular season games while he was on the roster in Milwaukee.

Allen holds a plethora of Bucks franchise records. They include: consecutive games played (400, from 11/1/96 to 12/20/01), three-point field goals made – career (1,051), three-point field goals made – season (229, 2001–02), three-point field goals made – game: 10 (vs. Charlotte Hornets, April 14, 2002), three-point field goals made – half (8, second half, vs. Charlotte Hornets, April 14, 2002), three-point field goal attempts – season (528, 2001–02), and three-point field goal attempts – game (17, at Cleveland Cavaliers, December 9, 2002).

Ray Allen’s penchant for scoring, consistency, and durability are some of the reasons he was honored as the 3rd best of the 20 greatest players in franchise history during Milwaukee’s 40th Anniversary Team Celebration in 2008.

Ray Allen took the Bucks to within one game of the NBA Finals during the 2000-01 season. He averaged 22.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.6 APG and 1.5 SPG in 82 games, leading his team to a 52-30 record and the second seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

In the first round of the playoffs the Bucks were matched up against the Orlando Magic and the series pitted Tracy McGrady vs. Ray Allen. Both stars dominated but Ray took control of the series when in game three in Orlando he took the game to overtime with a monstrous slam over McGrady (as seen above). The Bucks won the game in OT and then went on to win the series.

The Bucks then faced the Hornets in an Eastern Conference Semi-Finals matchup. The Bucks took the first two games of the series, but Charlotte responded by winning the next three games. Milwaukee fought back, against a 3-2 deficit, and would win the series in seven games.

Next came the biggest moment in Ray’s Bucks career, the Eastern Conference Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers. This series, like the Round 1 matchup, pitted two stars against each other, Ray Allen and Allen Iverson.

Philly had home court but the Bucks managed to steal a game. Milwaukee took a 2-1 lead, but Philadelphia won two in a row after. Facing a 3-2 deficit, Ray pounded the 76ers with 41 points as Milwaukee won 110-100 and lived to fight another day.

The Bucks lost Game Seven 108-91 and the series 4-3. Allen was the Bucks best player with averages of 27.1 PPG, 3.3 RPG and 5.4 APG in the seven game series.

Two years after the Eastern Conference Finals battle, Ray Allen was traded to Seattle. The craziest thing about the Allen – Bucks episode is that he wanted to stay in Milwaukee his whole career.

"“That’s what I planned on; that’s what I had hoped,” Allen said of staying in Milwaukee. “I was looking at building and trying to create something great. I always modeled my career after what Brett Favre did in Green Bay; they won a Super Bowl. I didn’t feel I needed to be in a big market to achieve greatness or even to win a championship. It was all about trying to create a mentality of having a dynasty here. We started doing that. I think we were one or two players away from doing that.”"

As with many great NBA players, it just didn’t work out with Coach George Karl and Allen, and he found reason to trade him for a return that was nowhere near equal value. Karl was the catalyst that got Allen out of Milwaukee.

It’s sad because Ray Allen enjoyed being here and was going to be a superstar here. He was exactly what the Bucks have been looking for since his departure: an incredibly talented star, a great work ethic, a great locker room presence, and the willingness to do whatever it takes to help the team win.

Ray Allen, even in a limited career with the Bucks, is one of the best players in Milwaukee history. As the superstar and number one option for Milwaukee, he took the team to heights that only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ever exceeded.

I think that he deserves to be remembered as a Bucks great because of his desire to stay with the franchise, getting traded wasn’t his fault, and because he gave the Bucks some great memories while being a good guy and playing in almost every game.

Other accolades Ray Allen received while a member of the Milwaukee Bucks: three All-Star selections from 2000-2002, All Rookie Second Team in 1996-97, All NBA Third Team in 2000-01, 2000-01 Three Point Shootout Winner (All-Star weekend event) in 2000-01, and The Sporting News “Good Guy” Award in 2000-01 and 2001-02.

Next: Bob Dandridge

Bob Dandridge – Small Forward

Dandridge was one of those players who put up outstanding numbers throughout his entire NBA career, yet somehow always managed to stay hiding in the background as such.

During a career that saw him pick up two NBA titles between stops in Milwaukee and Washington, “The Greyhound” averaged over 18 points and almost seven assists acting as the perfect complement to legendary players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, Wes Unseld and Elvin Hayes.

What makes Dandridge special for the Bucks was not only his outstanding play, but also his presence across different generations of successful Bucks teams.

Dandridge was with the Bucks from their debut in the NBA, to their championship team and beyond into the mid 70s, before even returning to make a brief cameo with Don Nelson’s new wave of the early 80s.

The Richmond, Virginia native made many meaningful contributions during his time in Milwaukee, but its obvious that his role in the 1971 championship winning team was the biggest of them all and the one that he was most proud of:

"They talk about the greatest championship teams and, maybe three years ago, they had that ‘71 team No. 10 out of 10 great championship teams. That was puzzling to me because we won 66 games, had two of the 50 greatest players who ever played and we were beating people by nine or 10 points."

In spite of the Bucks retiring his jersey, Dandridge’s own role in the history books remains criminally underplayed to this day though. Curtis Harris of Pro Hoops History highlighted this perfectly:

"The Greyhound should be a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame. He was the greatest two-way player at his position for a decade. In his 11 healthy seasons, his teams only missed the playoffs twice and had a winning percentage of 60%. He won two championships and was undeniably instrumental in both of them, especially in 1978 where he should have been the Finals MVP. He made two more appearances in the finals and could always be counted on to raise his already stellar play to greater heights in the postseason as his points, rebounds and assists all went up in the playoffs."

Whether he’ll ever make it to Springfield or not, what I know for sure is that Bucks fans should be incredibly grateful that Dandridge was one of theirs.

Next: Vin Baker

Vin Baker – Power Forward

Words by Jordan Treske

Entering the early 1990’s, the Bucks found themselves in a down period after experiencing a wealth of success over the course of the 1980’s.

Key names from over the course of the past decade like Nelson, Moncrief and Pressey, that were long associated with the franchise were gone and the Bucks struggled to find a cornerstone player that could jumpstart a new era of Bucks basketball.

The chances of finding that player grew season after season since the team toiled in mediocrity and in the 1993 NBA draft, the Bucks selected the player they thought could turn the franchise around in Vin Baker.

While the Bucks were confident in what they saw from Baker (the eighth overall pick), the pick still saw scrutiny from some critics outside of the franchise.

After all, Baker went to the University of Hartford, a relatively small school (especially for division 1) and the common criticism was the Bucks reached on a player that while very talented, could possibly have a hard time adjusting to the NBA game.

However, Baker adjusted to the game faster than even the team might have anticipated, as he put up 13.5 points per game, brought in 7.6 rebounds per game and swatted 1.4 blocks per game, which earned him a spot on the NBA All-Rookie First Team for the 1993-94 season.

Baker improved on that performance the following year, where he averaged a double-double for the 1994-95 season (17.7 points per game, 10.3 rebounds per game) and was selected to what ended up being the first of four consecutive All-Star appearances for Baker.

At this point, the Bucks had the start of something special with Baker as well as the first overall pick in the 1994 NBA draft in Glenn Robinson, but while Robinson and Baker stood out individually, the team still hung around at the bottom of the league.

Baker’s numbers would continue to improve the following two seasons, as he averaged almost two more consecutive double-double seasons (21.1 points per game/ 9.9 rebounds per game in 1995-96, 21 points per game/10.3 rebounds per game) and earned two more consecutive all-star appearances.

It looked to be the start of a bright NBA career for Baker, but Baker started growing tired of the team’s struggles as he started to spiral into an alcohol addiction.

With a free agent option on his contract coming up soon for Baker, the Bucks decided to send him to the Seattle Sonics before the 1997-98 season in a three-team blockbuster trade (the same trade that saw the athletic forward Shawn Kemp go to the Cleveland Cavaliers).

The Bucks eventually went on to find success shortly after Baker was shipped out, as the start of the “Big 3” era started to form. But for Baker, his substance abuse issues eventually took its toll on his NBA career.

However, Baker has since put his struggles behind him and his relationship with the team has recently rekindled under the new ownership, as he talked to the current players about his own struggles, as well as helping out developing the players during Summer League and the start of this year’s training camp.

Although you could ask yourself “what if?” regarding Baker’s NBA career and relationship with the Bucks, he still was able to showcase some of his special abilities throughout his 4 years in Milwaukee that the team has rarely seen before or since.

Next: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Lew Alcindor) – Center

Words by Ti Windisch

Whether you first knew him as Lew Alcindor or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, there is no denying the greatness of one of the best centers the NBA has ever known. It’s easy to forget how great Kareem really was considering the what have you done for me lately nature of the modern NBA, but being easy doesn’t make forgetting Kareem any less foolish.

Kareem’s list of accomplishments puts him in a different category of NBA greatness due to his insane longevity. I mean, the man totaled six championships on two different teams over a 17 year span, won Finals MVP twice, league MVP six times, was an All-Star 19 times, made the first or second All-NBA team fifteen times, made one of the All-Defensive teams eleven times, won three titles in college and leads the entire NBA (and the Bucks franchise) in scoring.

Chew on that one for a second. Kareem took home Finals MVPs fourteen seasons apart— once during year three of the Nixon presidency, once during year five of the Reagan presidency. -Bill Simmons

So you could say he was pretty good. Or that he’s the greatest player in NBA history, a claim you don’t hear too often despite Kareem having a solid case. But this piece isn’t about comparing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to other legends, it’s about what he accomplished in his own right.

And he accomplished quite a bit. Kareem managed to average 24.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, and 3.6 assists per game over 20 NBA seasons. He managed a (rounded) average of 25/11/4/3 over two freaking decades!

Those would be crazy numbers for a player’s peak! Kareem’s peak is absolutely otherworldly, by the way–from his rookie season until 1980 he averaged 28.3 points, 14.4 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Those numbers speak to the pure domination that was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in his prime.

“Why judge anymore? When a man has broken records, won championships, endured tremendous criticism and responsibility, why judge? Let’s toast him as the greatest player ever.” – Pat Riley

Nearly everything Kareem did would eventually become iconic. His signature skyhook is perhaps along with Hakeem Olajuwon’s Dream Shake the most legendary and unblockable move in NBA history. His acting cameo helped make “Airplane” one of the best comedies the world will ever know.

He gave the Bucks their first and to this point only title, and began the era of Lakers championship basketball that has only ended with the decline of Kobe Bryant in the past few seasons. Kareem, like Michael Jordan after him and Bill Russell before him, was the NBA for most of his career during it.

Did he have great teammates and legendary competition? Of course. But Kareem was both literally and metaphorically bigger than anyone else in terms of impact on the game, despite his well-documented dislike of the press.

“You know, Kareem dominated our league for two decades.” – Isiah Thomas

Any lists that attempt to rank the top five or ten players in NBA history and leave Kareem Abdul-Jabbar off of the top five have immediately lost their credibility in my opinion–Kareem is just too great to be ignored. But you don’t have to take my word for it.

Other NBA legends seem to feel the same way, and some even more strongly about Kareem’s legacy. Isiah Thomas thinks leaving Kareem off of a top one list is foolish:

"“If they say the numbers don’t lie, then Kareem is the greatest ever to play the game,” Thomas said. “And I’m a big proponent of that. … No disrespect to Jordan, but he won in the ’90s. And if the ’80s are the golden era, then the person who dominated the NBA in the ’80s and the ’70s was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.”"

Julius Irving feels similarly about Abdul-Jabbar’s legacy and place at the top of the NBA pantheon:

"“In terms of players all-time, Kareem is still the number one guy. He’s the guy you gotta start your franchise with.”"

Mind you, these aren’t quotes from Kareem’s last season or within a few years of his retirement. Thomas shared that sentiment with the Chicago Tribune in 2012 and Dr. J made his claim in a Grantland interview in 2013.

So even though both of those certified NBA legends had a decade to reflect on Jordan’s legacy, they still firmly believe that Kareem comes in on top. (I know I said I wouldn’t get caught up in rankings before, but seriously, if you think Kareem isn’t on basketball’s Mt. Rushmore then you don’t know basketball).

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had a career like no other. He managed to achieve the rare trifecta of having the championship trophies, the untouchable statistics and the unbelievable longevity that no other NBA player since Bill Russell has really reached before or after.

Kareem needs to be recognized as not just the greatest Bucks but as one of the greatest NBA players to ever suit up in the Association. He’s earned it.

Next: Sam Cassell

Sam Cassell – Second Unit

Sam Cassell has a special place in Bucks history. His was one of those rare cases where a great player with a remarkable personality just happened to find himself with a team that was the perfect fit for him.

As much as that young Bucks team of the late 90s/early 00s had a lot of talent, it doesn’t often get talked about any more just how brash they were. There are teams who are good and they get their share of wins as a by-product of that, and then there are teams who know how good they are and almost elevate themselves beyond that to prove a point.

“The Big Three” era Bucks team was the latter, and Sam Cassell was its spiritual ringmaster.

They didn’t bring me here to be Muggsy Bogues. Some nights I’ll score big; some nights I won’t. But getting assists won’t be a problem on this team.

Sam Cassell stayed in Milwaukee for five seasons in total, and they proved to be just yet another stop on his long and winding NBA journey where he achieved great success.

Although, Cassell didn’t pick up a title with the Bucks like he had done in both Houston and Boston, he brought the franchise about as close as it had been since that fateful night in 1971.

There was no other city where Cassell looked so at home on the court either. Overall for his time in Brewtown, Cassell averaged 19 points and 7.2 assists over five seasons. The fact that he never once received an All-Star spot, or even greater praise than that, while in Milwaukee seems criminal when you look at his consistently excellent play.

Bucksketball’s Jeremy Schmidt summed up Cassell’s impact and relationship with Milwaukee perfectly in a piece from back in 2011:

"He played for eight teams over 15 seasons, but if ever Cassell had an NBA home, it was in Milwaukee. He was the point guard on the best Bucks team of the past 20 years. He was the final piece, the one that helped push them from fringe playoff team to legitimate contender. It was his attitude, his jumper and his presence that made Cassell such a fit for Milwaukee over five seasons."

Although, he was unable to push the Bucks over the edge to title success, Cassell’s impression was a lasting one. He ranks top five in terms of All-Time franchise assist leaders, and goes down in the record books as one of the most creative players the Milwaukee Bucks have ever seen.

Next: Sidney Moncrief

Sidney Moncrief – Second Unit

Words by Jordan Treske

After skyrocketing to success, especially for an expansion team, the Bucks found themselves meddling with mediocrity during the mid-1970’s.

A lot of the key players that helped the team to go on to 55-plus win seasons, as well as winning the only championship in franchise history during the 1970-71 season, were either past their prime, playing for other teams or recently retired.

While they had the ground work for a great team, thanks to players like Brian Winters, Marques Johnson and Junior Bridgeman (both Winters and Bridgeman were acquired in the trade for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), they still missed that one piece that could establish a new period of success for the team.

The Bucks eventually found that player with the fifth overall pick in the 1979 NBA draft in Sidney Moncrief.

However, his time in Milwaukee almost never came to be as the Los Angeles Lakers, who had control of the first overall pick during that draft, debated over selecting Moncrief or the player who they ended up selecting with the the first pick, Magic Johnson.

Nonetheless, Moncrief enjoyed a pleasant rookie year in the 1979-80 season (8.5 points per game, 4.4 rebounds per game and 1.7 assists per game) and it would be the start of something special for the Bucks as a whole as the team started to find their winning ways again.

The following year, coach Don Nelson inserted Moncrief into the starting lineup at the start of the season and Moncrief started to show what kind of player he’d eventually become by putting up 14 points per game, 5.3 rebounds per game, 3.3 assists per game and 1.1 steals per game.

Although the Bucks went on to win 60 games during that 1980-81 season, they fell to the Philadelphia 76ers in a hard fought 7-game series.

Moncrief’s third year proved to be the first of many special seasons.

During the 1981-82 season, Moncrief put up 19.8 points per game, 6.7 rebounds per game, 4.8 assists per game and 1.7 steals per game, which earned him his first of five consecutive all-star appearances as well as being named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team.

The subsequent season saw the team reach what was the first of two consecutive appearances in the Eastern Conference Finals (the Bucks were shut out by the Boston Celtics in 4 games) as Moncrief, along with earning his second all-star appearance, was selected to the All-NBA First Team and was also named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

The ensuing year, the Bucks fell to the eventual champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, while Moncrief once again earned his third All-Star appearance, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award (as well as NBA All-Defensive Team honors) and all-NBA second team honors as he put 20.9 points per game, 6.7 rebounds per game and 4.5 assists per game.

Although the Bucks looked a bit different at the start of the 1984-85 season, due to All-Star forward Marques Johnson being dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers, Moncrief stepped up as the lead dog for the Bucks.

Along with the emergence of Paul Pressey and Terry Cummings (who was acquired in the Johnson deal), Moncrief went on to put up 21.7 points per game, 5.4 rebounds per game, 5.2 assists per game as well as 1.6 steals per game, which once again earned him the fourth of his five All-Star appearances, along with the All-NBA Second Team honors and NBA All-Defensive Team honors.

The 1985-86 season, Moncrief went on to earn his final All-Star appearance as well as being voted to the All-NBA Second Team and NBA All-Defensive Team, with 20.2 points per game, 4.6 rebounds per game and 4.9 assists per game.

The Bucks eventually went on to the Eastern Conference Finals for the final time during Moncrief’s career where they were shut out by the eventual champion Boston Celtics once again.

After experiencing plenty of success, both individually and as a part of the Bucks, not only did long-time coach Don Nelson leave to coach the Golden State Warriors after the 1985-86 season, Moncrief started to struggle with various injury problems, beginning with the 1986-87 season.

While Moncrief adjusted to a smaller role the following couple of years, he struggled to stay healthy for an entire season in the latter half of his career. Moncrief’s Bucks career came to an end after the 1988-89 season and he retired after one year with the Atlanta Hawks during the 1990-91 season.

However, Moncrief ranks highly in most major statistical categories throughout the franchise and after he left the team (Moncrief took a year off before he joined the Atlanta Hawks), the Bucks retired his iconic number four.

Although Moncrief never did make it to the NBA Finals, he never experienced a losing season throughout his time in Milwaukee and remains one of the most honored Bucks legends throughout team history.

Next: Glenn Robinson

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

Terry Cummings – Second Unit

Words by Jordan Treske

In the early 1980’s, the Bucks were perennial contenders, along with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference.

With future hall of fame coach Don Nelson at the helm as well as a deep roster headlined by the accomplished and gifted Sidney Moncrief and Marques Johnson respectively, the Bucks found themselves going on deep playoff runs year after year, only to come up short every time.

After falling to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals during the 1983-84 season, the Bucks, namely Nelson, who was also the GM at the time, made a shocking decision that could have sent the franchise in an entirely different direction.

The Bucks sent 4-time all-star Johnson, as well as long time sixth man Junior Bridgeman and big man Harvey Catchings to the Los Angeles Clippers for the young Terry Cummings, as well as two accomplished shooters in Craig Hodges and Ricky Pierce in a very publicized deal.

While it was very risky to shake up a strong group filled with a lot of chemistry, it didn’t take Cummings very long to make a strong impression on Nelson, who said he was “the most gifted player I’ve ever coached.”

During his time in Milwaukee, Cummings quickly established himself as an athletic force, as well as an efficient shooter (averaged over 20 points per game 4 out of 5 seasons, shot 48 percent from the field as a Buck) and earned two all-star bids during his time in Milwaukee.

As a team, the Bucks didn’t miss a beat with Cummings in the fold.

The Bucks continued to build themselves as contenders in the Eastern Conference, with the highest point coming during the 1985-86 season where the Bucks fell to the eventual champion Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.

After the 1988-89 season, Cummings was sent to San Antonio but eventually returned to Milwaukee during the 1995-96 season, a season where he primarily played as a reserve.

In his 6 seasons in Milwaukee, Cummings averaged 19.4 points per game, hauled in 7.8 rebounds per game, and dished out 2.3 assists per game, along with 1.3 steals per game as well.

While the Bucks could never get past famed Eastern Conference teams like the Celtics, 76ers or Pistons, the high-risk decision to bring in Cummings could not have worked out better during what later became one of the last great eras of Bucks basketball.

Next: Bob Lanier

Bob Lanier – Second Unit

Unlike many of the names on this list who came up and developed with the Bucks, Lanier arrived in Milwaukee later in his career as an already well-established star in the NBA.

Lanier was a seven-time All-Star with the Detroit Pistons, but as injuries started to bog down his career as he entered his 30s, big Bob felt it was time for a change and ultimately requested a trade away from Detroit.

If every player had a Bob Lanier attitude, it would be easy for a coach to function. – Dick Vitale

The Bucks traded Kent Benson and a first round pick to the Motor City to ensure that Lanier ended up in Milwaukee, and although he’d only spend four full seasons in Milwaukee, Lanier had a lasting impact.

The big man famed for his size 22 feet also had a deceptively soft touch which made him one of the most versatile NBA big men of his era. Lanier could bang inside and bully his way to the hoop, finish over defenders with a long, languid hook shot, or even step back and knock down mid-range jumpers when the opportunity presented itself.

The Bucks made the post-season in every year that Lanier bore the city’s name across his chest, and even helped the franchise to get as far as making two Finals appearances with him in the middle.

Bridgeman averaged 13.5 points and 5.9 rebounds during his relatively short time with the Bucks, but he helped to push his teammates to such heights that he’s remembered incredibly fondly around the city, and his number 16 jersey hangs from the rafters to this day.

Next: Has Jamaal Charles Lost a Step?

Jon McGlocklin – Third String

If you had to name a Mr Milwaukee Bucks, McGlocklin would certainly be one of the first names to come to mind.

Although he was an NBA player from just before the Bucks came into existence, McGlocklin has been with the franchise since day one having been selected as part of the expansion draft when the team entered the league.

McGlocklin came from the San Diego Rockets were he never truly found his feet in the rotation, after having a low key first two seasons of his professional career with the Cincinnati Royals.

When Jonny Mac arrived in Milwaukee all of that changed though.

"When I came (to Milwaukee) my numbers went up. That year I made the All-Star Team and really found my NBA life during my fourth year. I think it was my style of play and that the coach in Milwaukee kind of built a lot of the offense around me. So I had more playing time, more opportunities for the type of player that I was, and the type of shooter that I was. The environment, the coach, the players, and the type of system really went to my skills as a player. I really had a chance to blossom."

McGlocklin averaged over 19 points per game in his first season as a Buck, a mark that would remain his career high but also helped to set the table for the greater success yet to come for Milwaukee.

The Bucks, to me, they’re our family. I realize it’s changed but it’s still the franchise, the organization, the logo. That’s family to us. We’ve been here since June of ’68. We raised our family here. – Jon McGlocklin

McGlocklin had a significant role to play in that too, as the former Indiana Hoosier was regularly a difference-maker en route to the franchise’s one and only title success in 1971.

After his playing days came to a close, McGlocklin never went very far away, becoming a part of the Bucks broadcast team up to this very day.

"Every owner, every coach, every general manager, every player, every trainer. I’ve seen all of them."

If McGlocklin’s impact as a player hadn’t already sealed an everlasting legacy in Milwaukee for him, what he has continued to mean to the franchise for the best part of 50 years certainly finished the job for him.

Next: Michael Redd

Michael Redd – Third String

Words by Jordan Treske

It’s hard to strike it rich in the second round of the NBA draft.

We’ve seen recent success stories recently with Draymond Green and the Bucks’ very own Khris Middleton respectively, but for the most part, it’s hard to envision a second round player becoming more than a league average starter.

With that said, that’s what makes the story of Michael Redd all the more special.

Redd, the 43rd overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft, was looked at to be nothing more than a reserve when he initially joined the team, especially when you consider the team had a future hall-of-famer in Ray Allen starting at shooting guard.

However, Redd showcased his high work ethic right off the bat and following his rookie year where he saw little playing time, he started to see more minutes come his way as well as showing off his ability to shoot the ball from all areas of the floor and became the team’s sixth man.

That’s why Redd’s growth as a player must have been a factor in the shocking decision to send Allen to the Seattle Sonics in a deadline deal during the 2002-03 season, a trade which also saw another hall-of-famer in Gary Payton come to Milwaukee.

While the decision to send a keystone player in Allen away was and has been a lingering “what if?” for the franchise, Redd, to his credit, immediately stepped up in terms of production as well as being a leader in the locker room.

The 2003-04 season saw Redd earn his only all-star appearance, the last all-star appearance for the team as of this writing, as well as being voted to the all-NBA third team.

The following few seasons, Redd reached scoring numbers well over 20 points per game, with his career best coming in the 2006-07 season with 26.7 points per game.

That same season also Redd pass a team milestone when he scored 57 points in a game (with 42 of them coming in the 2nd half), in an early November game versus the Utah Jazz, the most points ever in a game in franchise history.

What makes the game symbolic, however, is that while Redd’s individual performance was spectacular, it also came in a losing fashion.

Throughout his Bucks tenure, Redd saw a lot of individual success (including being a part of the U.S. gold medal team during the 2008 Olympics), but team success proved to be elusive, as Redd only experienced 3 winning seasons and only 2 winning playoff series’ (from the “Big 3” Bucks era) throughout his 11 seasons in Milwaukee.

Redd’s latter seasons in Milwaukee were filled with injuries, including suffering a torn ACL and MCL in the same knee two years in a row. While Redd was able to come back from those devastating injuries, the Bucks decided to move on without Redd following the 2010-11 season.

Although Redd didn’t officially end his career with the Bucks, Redd made his mark on the franchise with his special ability to score in a variety of ways and stands fourth on the Bucks all-time scoring list with 11,154 points, good for 20 points per game throughout his Bucks career.

Next: Marques Johnson

Marques Johnson – Third String

Marques Johnson is in many ways the prototype for so many of the best players we see in the league today. There was a time when the diversity that guys like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Paul George bring to their game was a completely foreign concept to forwards.

Why would they worry about playmaking? Why would they want to do it all?

Then, Johnson came along. If not the original “point forward”, the role will at least be forever tied to Johnson for the way in which he claims he coined the name.

"At the start of the playoffs, Don Nelson came up with the idea to initiate the offense through me at small forward. So after we went through how we were going to make the adjustments to different plays, my response to Nellie was, ‘OK, so instead of a point guard, I’m a point forward.’ I remember his response clear as mud, like it was yesterday, saying back to me, ‘Yeah. I like that. You’re my point forward.’ Junior Bridgeman was there — you can ask him."

Paul Pressey, another Bucks great of that era may dispute the origin, and certainly held his own claim to the position in Milwaukee too, but there can be no doubting Johnson’s prowess.

Dr. J gave me the ultimate compliment, he said I was the best all-round player that he ever played against. – Marques Johnson

If you take a look at the Bucks all-time franchise stats leaders, there aren’t many names that are more of an ever-present than Johnson. The Louisiana native ranks in the top ten in all five major categories.

That is sixth in points (10,980), third in rebounds (3,923), ninth in assists (1,934), sixth in steals (697) and seventh in blocks (439). Add into the mix that he’s seventh in terms of minutes played (18,240), fourth in field goal percentage (53 percent), and that the Bucks made the playoffs in all but one of his seasons with the team and it’s tough to find a match for his impact.

If there’s any more that needs to be said, I’m going to let this tweet do it.

If you don't know how big Marques Johnson is....Michael Jordan had his @olskool888 poster on his dorm room wall. pic.twitter.com/AllXZ3uIu9
— Paul Henning (@brewcitypaul) September 15, 2015

Next: Junior Bridgeman

Junior Bridgeman – Third String

Bridgeman might be the smartest player ever to play for the Bucks. I’m not just talking about his play on the court, but his work off of it too.

During Bridgeman’s playing career, the Bucks sixth man specialist used to scoff at discussions of salaries around the league approaching the million dollar mark.

"I’m definitely not a millionaire – not even half a one. But the pay is very good."

Over 31 years on from that tweet, Bridgeman has an estimated net worth of $400 million. Building on from being one of the league’s ultimate leaders as the president of the NBA Players Association, Bridgeman expressed a growing interest in business.

He majored in psychology, flirted with pursuing a law degree, and eventually became a fast food magnate after his retirement. Bridgeman now employs over 9,000 people across the Midwest between the 195 Wendy’s, 125 Chili’s and 45 Fannie May chocolate stores that he owns.

Junior knew what his role was as soon as he stepped into the game. He provided offense, moved the ball, got a few rebounds, got a few assists. – Harvey Catchings

On the court, Bridgeman was equally as resourceful and productive for the Bucks too. Although he rarely started, Bridgeman scored in bunches, and generally helped those around him to elevate their performances to new heights.

He leads the franchise in terms of games played with a whopping total of 711 to his name. He also lands in the franchise’s top ten all-time scorers, having amassed just under 10,000 points in Milwaukee.

What made Bridgeman so important for the Bucks was unselfishness and the relentless dynamic he gave to the team. Whenever Milwaukee’s opponents saw Marques Johnson head for the bench and thought they might be about to get some respite, Bridgeman would emerge to terrorize them even further.

Those great Bucks teams of the late 70s/early 80s wouldn’t have been the same without him.

Next: Andrew Bogut

Andrew Bogut – Third String

Words by Jordan Treske

There’s arguably no bigger ‘what if’ career when it comes to the long list of former Bucks players than Andrew Bogut.

That isn’t to say the former first overall pick didn’t have high points in his time with the Bucks, but there’s a good chance that he could still be in Milwaukee if it weren’t for some literal bad breaks.

But Bogut definitely deserves to be among the greats the Bucks franchise has seen for what he accomplished in his tenure with Milwaukee, even if it didn’t go the way the team and the Australian planned.

In his seven seasons as a member of the Bucks, Bogut was able to develop as an all-around player at a position where many players are quite limited with what they have to offer.

While Bogut’s offensive numbers in Milwaukee are noteworthy (12.7 points per game, 2.3 assists per game, 52 percent shooting from the field), what made him a truly special player to watch when he was in Milwaukee was his growth as a true defensive anchor.

Bogut averaged 1.6 blocks per game throughout his Bucks career and is third all-time in the franchise for most blocks.

Without question, Bogut’s best season in Milwaukee was the 2009-10 season (or the “Fear the Deer” season), where he averaged over a double-double (15.9 points per game, 10.2 rebounds per game) and swatted up to 2.5 blocks per game.

Unfortunately it was that same season where his NBA career took a significant turn as Bogut suffered a gruesome injury in an early April game that derailed what was a truly unexpected, successful season for the Bucks.

While Bogut eventually recovered and continued to live up to his standard of play the following season (a season where he led the league in blocks with 2.6 swats per game), it’s not hard to wonder how much better he could have become, along with how different the Bucks would look like right now if it weren’t for that fateful injury.

The next season saw Bogut’s time in Milwaukee come to a close in March 2012 when he was dealt to the Golden State Warriors where he’s still a member on the team’s roster and was recently crowned an NBA champion this past season.

It’s unfortunate Bogut’s Bucks’ career didn’t result in more success as he continues to be a remarkable NBA player and when you look at the Bucks roster as it stands now, it’s much more suited for a player like Bogut to thrive in.

Bogut himself, admitted that the change of scenery benefited him greatly and suits him much more to his playing style in an interview with Charles Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel this past March when the Warriors matched up against the Bucks in Milwaukee:

"“I was in a tunnel,” Bogut said. “It’s a different role here and I enjoy it (with Golden State). I’m more of a utilities guy and making sure our defense is sound and rebounding."

"“A lot of games I have two points, four points, five points, but I know how to affect the game in a huge way that people don’t see, especially defensively.”"

Nevertheless, Bogut’s career in Milwaukee may not have gone as planned, but it definitely won’t go unnoticed.

Next: Has Jamaal Charles Lost a Step?

More from Behind the Buck Pass

Adam McGee

Adam is a graduate of Multimedia at Dublin City University, Ireland. Fanatical about sports in general, he has a particular love for soccer, golf, mixed martial arts and the NBA. He is a Site Expert at Behind The Buck Pass, covers the Atlanta Hawks for HoopsHabit, writes about the NBA for The Step Back, and MMA for FanSided. Adam has also previously contributed to The Cauldron and has written for the Hardwood Paroxysm Quarterly.