Milwaukee Bucks: Meet the 1970s All-Decades Team – Bob Dandridge
The 1969 NBA Draft certainly changed the Bucks franchise one season after they entered the league. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was obviously the crown jewel that turned the Bucks into a powerhouse, but it was in the fourth round and with the 45th overall pick that gave the Bucks their all-purpose swingman for that golden era.
The man known as the Greyhound, Bob Dandridge had been an incredible collegiate player at Norfolk State and averaged 32.3 points per game and 17 rebounds per game over his senior season.
Having fallen through the cracks in the draft, whether it was due to the limited scouting at the time or other circumstances, Dandridge was thankful he landed in Milwaukee when he was ultimately selected he said the following the Fred Jeter of the Richmond Free Express:
"“I’ll always be grateful to the Bucks. They must have seen something in me others didn’t,” Dandridge said.”"
Dandridge’s blend of shooting, hustle and defensive versatility filled so many gaps for those Bucks teams helmed by head coach Larry Costello and his unsung contributions really helped give the Bucks speed and athleticism around Abdul-Jabbar and Robertson as well as McGlocklin and Greg Smith.
And for as great as Dandridge was during the regular season, where he eventually became a four-time All-Star, the Bucks’ all-time minutes leader rose his game during the Bucks’ many playoff runs during that era. In fact, Dandridge scored the most points over his three NBA Finals series appearances during the 1970’s as Curtis Harris wrote for ESPN back in April of 2017.
Although Dandridge’s first stint in Milwaukee had ended on bad terms and eventually paved the way for him to join the then-Washington Bullets, where he won another NBA championship, Dandridge returned back to the Cream City for a brief stint during the 1981-82 season before retiring due to injuries.
In his 618 appearances with the Bucks over nine seasons, Dandridge averaged 18.6 points on 48.7 percent shooting from the field (77 percent shooting from the foul line), 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.5 steals across 35.8 minutes per contest.