To celebrate Milwaukee Bucks history month here at Behind the Buck Pass, take a look back at the first Bucks game to ever happen, including all 11 of the players that got playing time.
The Milwaukee Bucks may have just one NBA championship in their trophy cabinet, but that doesn’t mean the Bucks don’t have a rich history. This September, Behind the Buck Pass is honoring that history by focusing on it with our articles this month.
This article represents one of the first chapters in Milwaukee Bucks history–the first game ever played by the Bucks. On October 16th, 1968, the Bucks lost a close game to the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls triumphed 89-84.
There aren’t many statistics available for that game, but basketball-reference does provide a box score complete with all of the players who got playing time for Milwaukee in the franchise’s first game.
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We’ll go through the players one by one, shining a little light on them and seeing what they did in the rest of their NBA careers. Some names may be familiar–many likely will not. The Bucks weren’t too far off from their first NBA championship, but not too many players from the first team made it to the first title run.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at the first 11 players to ever suit up for the Milwaukee Bucks some 48 years ago this October.
Next: Guy Rodgers
Guy Rodgers
Guy Rodgers was easily one of the most accomplished players on the 1968-69 Milwaukee Bucks. Rodgers was a grizzled NBA veteran by the time he made it to Milwaukee, one who had gotten four All-Star nods earlier in the decade.
He had been an 18 point per game scorer earlier in his career, but Rodgers was down to ten points per game in his first year with the Bucks. That number would drop to just over three points per game in his second year with Milwaukee, after which he retired.
Rodgers had a strong showing in his first game with the Bucks though, scoring a team-high 16 points in the close loss. Rodgers was unique among high-scoring Bucks in this game in that he did not make any free throws to boost his points total–he missed his only attempt.
It seems like Rodgers is one of many good players who has been sadly forgotten by contemporary NBA fans. He was very good at his peak, but due to playing with four different teams in his career may not be remembered overly well by any one team. He did log eight years with the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, though.
Next: Wayne Embry
Wayne Embry
Another grizzled veteran ending his career with Milwaukee, Wayne Embry had just come off of his first NBA Championship win with the Boston Celtics when he joined the Bucks for their first season.
Boston was such a deep team they used Embry as a role player. He got just 10.1 minutes per game in his first Celtics season. The Bucks had no such depth, so they gave Embry 30 minutes per game in his only Milwaukee season.
Like Rodgers, Embry had been a multiple-time All-Star in his career before arriving in Milwaukee. He got the honor five straight seasons with the Cincinnati Royals, playing with future legendary Buck Oscar Robertson.
Unlike Rodgers, Embry had a role with the Bucks after his playing days were over. He served as Bucks GM from 1972 to 1977. Embry would end up winning two Executive of the Year awards, but unfortunately not until his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Predictably the team struggled after trading Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the wins stopped rolling in for Milwaukee in the mid-70s.
Next: Fred Hetzel
Fred Hetzel
Fred Hetzel was the only Milwaukee Buck outside of Embry and Rodgers to score in double figures in Milwaukee’s first game. Hetzel notched 12 points against the Bulls, less than the 15.9 points per game he scored with Milwaukee that year.
Hetzel wouldn’t last the season, as the Bucks traded him after 53 games to the Cincinnati Royals. Hetzel was a workhorse–he ended up playing 84 regular season games that year because of where the team schedules were at when he was traded!
Although he never got an All-Star nod in his six season NBA career, Hetzel did average 19 points per game with the Warriors in 1968. Unfortunately that was his high point–after leaving Milwaukee he never broke 12 points per game again in his NBA career.
That big scoring season might’ve been what brought Milwaukee’s attention to Hetzel in the first place. Who knows if the Bucks take him in the expansion draft if not for that prodigious scoring year by Hetzel? Unfortunately he couldn’t return to form in this first game–a few more baskets from Hetzel could’ve been the difference in the first Bucks/Bulls game ever.
Next: Bob Love
Bob Love
Bob Love is one of a number of players on the Bucks with some ties to those Cincinnati Royals back then. The Royals nabbed him in the fourth round of the 1965 NBA Draft, and he played two seasons in Cincinnati before being picked up by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Milwaukee’s first-ever game would end up being one-fourteenth of Love’s tenure with the team, as he was traded after just 14 games with the Bucks. Love was just 26 years old at the time, and apparently his 7.6 points per game were not enough for Milwaukee.
The Bob Love trade was just another suspect one for Milwaukee, as he became an incredible player the very next year. He scored at least 19 points per game for seven straight seasons after being dealt. The worst part? He was traded to the Chicago Bulls.
To be fair, Love didn’t show much in his time with the Milwaukee Bucks. He scored just nine points in that first Bulls loss, which was higher than his typical outing with Milwaukee. Still, some patience might’ve been prudent in this situation for Milwaukee. At least Milwaukee got All-Star Flynn Robinson back for Love in that trade.
Next: Jon McGlocklin
Jon McGlocklin
Speaking of players who used to be Cincinnati Royals, Jon McGlocklin also started his NBA career as a Royal before ending up in Milwaukee. Fortunately he was never sent away in a bad trade–Jonny Mac would finish his NBA career with the Bucks.
McGlocklin may not have done too much in Milwaukee’s first game, scoring just eight points, but he would go on to be a part of the Bucks first and only title as well as becoming one of the most important figures in franchise history. Since the Milwaukee Bucks have existed, Jonny Mac has been a part of the team.
Jonny Mac got his first and only All-Star nod in this season, as he would end up scoring nearly 20 points per game throughout the year. His scoring might’ve steadily dropped off after 1968-69, but McGlocklin still found at least 20 minutes per game through the 1974-75 NBA season.
Jon McGlocklin is Mr. Milwaukee. He’s been around from the start, and was honored last season for his contributions to the franchise as a color commentator, something he’s done since the late 1970s. McGlocklin also started the MACC Fund, a charity that fights childhood cancer.
There’s no doubt that Milwaukee, both the city and the franchise, is better off for having acquired Jonny Mac.
Next: Bob Weiss
Bob Weiss
Bob Weiss had a lot of stops in his long (for his day) NBA career. Milwaukee was one of six NBA franchises Weiss played with in his 12 year career. Weiss reached the pinnacle of the NBA quickly, winning a title with the Philadelphia 76ers in just his second NBA season.
It’s hard to say Weiss had much to do with the win, considering he played just four minutes in the postseason that year, but he got his ring regardless. He would go on to do more in the postseason in some later years, although Weiss’ only ring came right the Warriors.
His Milwaukee tenure was short. After just 15 games Weiss went with Bob Love to the Bulls for future Bucks All-Star Flynn Robinson. Weiss actually outscored his average in Milwaukee’s first game, notching eight points as opposed to the 6.6 he averaged with the Bucks across his short tenure.
Weiss was a career role player who only cracked ten points per game twice and never reached the 12 point per game mark. He was a pretty good passer though, and teams must’ve liked having him around. 12 years was a pretty long career back then in the NBA.
Next: Dave Gambee
Dave Gambee
Dave Gambee, like Bob Weiss, was a 12 year NBA veteran who primarily served as a role player in his career. Gambee had a slightly higher peak than Weiss though, seeing as he managed 16.7 points per game in 1961-62.
Milwaukee was one of just six stops Gambee made during his long career. Although he was with the Bucks near the latter stages of his career, Gambee still scored more points per game with the Bucks than he did with all of his other teams aside from the San Diego Rockets.
Gambee also managed to nab one ring in his career, on the same team as Bob Weiss! Both players had 12 year careers, played for six teams, played in Milwaukee’s first-ever game and won rings on the 1967 Philadelphia 76ers.
Gambee scored one less point than Weiss did in that fateful game against the Bulls, notching seven in his Bucks debut. He only lasted 34 games with the Bucks before being traded to the Detroit Pistons later on that season.
Next: Len Chappell
Len Chappell
Len Chappell had an interesting NBA career. He’s a one-time All-Star, earning the honor in 1964 with a 17.1 point per game scoring season. He followed up that terrific season by failing to score in double figures per game for four straight years.
He then scored 14.1 points per game in Milwaukee’s first season, before again scoring below ten points per game for his last three NBA seasons. Chappell spent ten seasons in the NBA and was traded midseason four times.
Interestingly enough, Chappell’s problems seem to stem only from a lack of minutes, not ability. He scored at least 15.5 points per 36 minutes in each of his seasons, and recorded six seasons with at least 19 points per 36 minutes.
Chappell scored 14.6 points per game and 8.3 points per game in his two seasons with the Bucks, but unfortunately contributed less than that in Milwaukee’s first game. Chappell made three shots for a grand total of six points in that game.
Next: Jay Miller
Jay Miller
Jay Miller’s Milwaukee Bucks career is pretty far from distinguished. He lasted exactly three games with Milwaukee before ending up in the ABA, where he found go on to finish his basketball playing days. Miller played just four combined years across leagues, and never made much of an impact on any of his teams.
Miller’s most memorable stint was with the Los Angeles Stars, the team he ended up with after the Bucks dumped him. Miller scored 12.5 points per game with the Stars, but still got moved to the Indiana Pacers (who were then in the ABA) after just 11 games.
Miller’s time with Milwaukee obviously wasn’t very memorable, considering he was around for just three games. Still, he did get minutes in the Bucks first game, and thus will always be on the fringe of Milwaukee Bucks history.
He scored two points without making a field goal in the Bucks first game. He converted both of his free throw attempts, and that was that. At least Miller found a successful team over in the ABA–he won a title with the 1970 Pacers in the NBA’s competitor at the time.
Next: Charlie Paulk
Charlie Paulk
Charlie Paulk may not have the most distinguished basketball career, but he did leave right during his formative NBA years to go serve his country, which is commendable. He didn’t find much success in his mere 17 games with the Bucks.
Once Paulk got back from the service, Milwaukee traded him away to Cincinnati. It feels like every player on the first Bucks team had some tie or another to those Royals! He played a year and seven games with the Royals before being traded again, this time to the New York Knicks. After 28 games in New York, Paulk decided to hang up his jersey for good.
Despite scoring just one point in Milwaukee’s first game and lasting just 17 games with the Bucks, Paulk will forever be tied to the Bucks history. He was the first player ever drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks, after the team took him seventh in the 1968 NBA Draft.
There’s a niche piece of trivia for diehard Bucks fans. Most people tend to think Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the first Buck drafted, just because Kareem is always associated with the early Bucks. But Charlie Paulk was the first-ever Buck, and scored one point in Milwaukee’s first-ever game.
Next: Dick Cunningham
Dick Cunningham
Dick Cunningham is a somewhat memorable Milwaukee Buck, despite scoring a grand total of zero points in Milwaukee’s first game. Cunningham was selected by the Phoenix Suns in the 1968 NBA Draft, but was traded to the Bucks before ever playing with the Suns.
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He played seven NBA seasons, including two three-year stints with the Bucks broken up by a sole season spent in Houston. Cunningham never made a huge impact on the court–the 4.6 points per game he scored in his rookie year were the most he ever managed in a single season.
Still, he got minutes with the Bucks on their title-winning team in 1971. Kareem didn’t leave many minutes for Cunningham, but he saw 6.4 of them per game in the 1971 postseason. He added 1.7 points and 1.7 rebounds to the Bucks in those very limited looks.
Cunningham may just be a footnote in Milwaukee Bucks history, but he’s still there. He managed to be around for both Milwaukee’s only NBA Championship (to this point) and the Bucks first-ever game.
Next: What's In A Nickname? The History Of The Bucks
This group of 11 may not be all household names, but the odd mix they presented was the first team the Milwaukee Bucks ever fielded. Many of these guys were traded away soon after as the Bucks molded their team, but this group is forever the first group of Bucks to take the floor.