1977 – Kansas City Kings at Kemper Arena
And so we come to the Bucks’ most recent Christmas Day outing, all the way back in the 1976-77 season. If any proof was needed that the Bucks’ return to the Christmas Day slate in 2018 was overdue, I direct to you to look closely at Brian Winters‘ incredibly 70s mustache in the image above.
The Bucks and Kings had both gone through major changes since their meeting on the same day five years previously, but it was Milwaukee who clearly came out in a much better place from those changes.
Abdul-Jabbar was gone, but Winters, Marques Johnson and Junior Bridgeman were all notable in filling that gap, and allowing the Bucks to begin building the next great stretch in their franchise history.
This game came in the early stages of that Bucks’ revival, and in a season that would mark the first of the Bucks’ 13 playoff appearances in a 14-year span.
A 131-122 win acted as evidence of the good things bubbling under the surface of Milwaukee basketball again, with Winters leading the way with 22 points, and Alex English, Dave Meyers, Johnson, Quinn Buckner, Ernie Grunfeld, Bridgeman and John Gianelli all chipping in with 10 or more points.
Will the Bucks move above .500 all-time for Christmas Day games in 2018? We’ll find out at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday morning.