The 10 Wildest what-if scenarios in Milwaukee Bucks history
By Tyler Watts
4. Dr. J joins the Bucks
The Bucks joined the NBA in 1968 and won a championship in 1971. Having the first overall pick in the draft featuring Kareem Abdul-Jabbar helped, but it is not often an expansion franchise becomes elite so quickly. It was not just Kareem. The Bucks had Hall of Famers Oscar Robertson and Bob Dandridge flanking one of the all-time greats.
Milwaukee nearly added a fourth legend to their core when they selected Julius Erving with the 12th overall pick in the 1972 draft. Dr. J was already dominating the ABA, but the Bucks hoped to bring him to the NBA to play with Kareem and the Big O. Erving had other plans.
He signed with the Hawks before the 1972 draft and messy legal situation unfolded before the 6’7 wing wound up back with the Virginia Squirrels in the ABA. He led his team to two championships and was a three-time MVP in that league before coming to the NBA in the 1976 merger.
Adding a young Dr. J to their core would have certainly altered history. Erving was unquestionably one of the best players in the world in the 1970s and the Milwaukee Bucks may have racked up multiple championships. Would that have been enough to prevent Kareem from leaving for LA and made the Bucks the best team of that era? They certainly would have been a must-watch if nothing else.