Since their rise to contention over the past few seasons, the Milwaukee Bucks have certainly made some enemies along the way.
Whether it be due to previous postseason matchups, a classic regular season meeting, or some personal objection between players, the Bucks have plenty to go around. That is only heightened after the team’s title run as they have become world champions, where some of the rivalries that will be mentioned ahead have only intensified in the aftermath.
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With the Bucks ending their 50-year title drought this past season, everyone will be aiming to overthrow the reigning champs during the upcoming 2021-22 season.
That should help add some tension to the matchups, particularly if the Bucks were to meet with any of the teams that make this list in a postseason scenario, which it seems like they ultimately will. With that being said, here are Milwaukee’s top three rivals for the 2021-22 NBA season.
Rival No. 3 for the Milwaukee Bucks for 2021-22 season — Philadelphia 76ers
The Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers have been dangerously close to meeting in the postseason in two of the last three seasons, but it just has not happened.
In 2019, Kawhi Leonard’s iconic shot in Game 7 with the Toronto Raptors sent the 76ers home in a crushing defeat that prevented a matchup with the Bucks in the Conference Finals. This past year, the two sides seemed destined to meet in the East Finals, but Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks prevented that by defeating the 76ers in a Game 7. While a playoff matchup has yet to take place, these two certainly have their share of memorable regular season matchups over the years.
One particular matchup that comes to mind was a March between the two in 2019, where the two East juggernauts went at it. Soon-to-be league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a career-high 52 points in that game, calling Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons “a baby” after dunking on him late in the contest. During another meeting later that month, former Buck Eric Bledsoe and 76ers big man Joel Embiid got into a skirmish after throwing the ball at one another, leading to Bledsoe being ejected. This past season, the Bucks miraculously came back from a double-digit deficit vs. the 76ers, and Antetokounmpo famously sat on the Philadelphia logo after hitting a clutch shot.
These two teams have had their share of memorable moments over the years, which should only continue in 2021-22 as both teams will be competing at the top of the East. Antetokounmpo and Embiid could very well be jockeying for position in the NBA’s MVP race next season as well. There appears to be some bad blood between these two teams, and perhaps this will be the year that they finally meet in the NBA Playoffs.
Rival No. 2 for the Milwaukee Bucks for 2021-22 season — Miami Heat
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum from the 76ers, the recent rivalry between the Bucks and Miami Heat stems from the postseason.
The Heat eliminated the league-best Bucks during the second round of the playoffs in the NBA bubble, sending them home with an embarrassing 4-1 defeat. It was undeniably a brutal loss for Milwaukee, who spent the offseason retooling. As the playoffs crept up the following season, the Bucks made it abundantly clear that they wanted a rematch with the Heat in round one of the 2021 playoffs, and their wish was granted. It was an entirely different result this time around as the Bucks steamrolled the Heat with a clean sweep.
A third playoff matchup between these two teams seems inevitable heading into the 2021-22 season. The Heat spent the offseason revamping their roster by adding Kyle Lowry and stealing P.J. Tucker away from the Bucks. It certainly hurts seeing Tucker leave after how crucial he proved to be more Milwaukee during the title run, but watching him sign with one of their top rivals in the conference only rubs more salt in the wound. Miami has geared up to make a genuine run back to the NBA Finals next season, and they will likely meet with Milwaukee at some point down the line.
With each team throwing haymakers at one another over the past two seasons, a possible third installment would be fascinating to see. The Heat will be among the teams challenging the Bucks for the best team in the East next season, and time will tell if the collision course the two teams seem to be on ultimately comes to fruition.
Rival No. 1 for the Milwaukee Bucks for 2021-22 season — Brooklyn Nets
Following the thrilling second round matchup between the Bucks and Brooklyn Nets during this past postseason, there will not be much controversy with this selection.
These two teams battled it out for seven consecutive games, with the Bucks emerging from the rubble victorious after surviving overtime in Game 7 on the road. Aside from the first two games, both of which were Brooklyn blowouts, every game that followed in this series was must-see-tv, living up to the hype that surrounded it heading in. Many viewed these two as the best teams in the East then, and they will almost certainly hold onto that sentiment heading into 2021-22.
These two teams boast arguably the most star-studded trios currently constructed in the NBA, although the Los Angeles Lakers pose a strong argument. For the Nets, they have a star-studded lineup with Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden, while the Bucks have Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday. Seeing those six go at it will have fans glued to their seats. It seems like the NBA understood this as the Bucks and Nets are set to tip-off the 2021-22 season on October 19, the night where the Bucks will receive their rings.
Of course, the individual rivalry between Antetokounmpo and Harden is something that must be mentioned whenever discussing these two teams. The two have verbally gone back and forth over the past few years over several issues, and that notion always adds some extra tension when they share the floor.
The Nets will undoubtedly have redemption on their mind as they look to dethrone the Bucks as world champions entering the 2021-22 season.