Milwaukee Bucks: The franchise’s forgotten Hall of Famers
By Adam McGee
Wayne Embry
To this day, Wayne Embry remains one of the more unsung legends in the history of the Milwaukee Bucks, and the NBA as a whole.
Much like Rodgers, Embry arrived to the Bucks via the expansion draft as a player with an outstanding reputation, but as one who was also on the home straight of his career.
Prior to arriving in Milwaukee, Embry played in five All-Star Games representing the Cincinnati Royals, and in the season before landing with the Bucks, he managed to pick up a championship ring with the Boston Celtics.
Embry’s best days as a player coming in Cincinnati was no coincidence, as he formed a deadly pick-and-roll tandem. Embry boasted a stout frame and was a dream center for any guard to play with as his physicality in setting screens earned him the nickname of “The Wall”.
That element of his play was still evident as a 31-year-old in Milwaukee, as in his one and only season as a Buck before retiring, Embry averaged 13.1 points and 8.6 rebounds in 30.2 minutes per game.
Of course, Embry’s relationship with the Bucks didn’t end there as he worked his way through the front office ranks, before ultimately becoming the league’s first African American general manager. Embry’s long and successful career in the front office has since landed him two Executive of the Year wins, and to this day he works as a Senior Basketball Advisor with the Toronto Raptors.