The Wisconsin Herd are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin , and are affiliated with the Milwaukee Bucks . The Herd play their home games at Oshkosh Arena .
152-510: On June 29, 2016, it was announced that the Milwaukee Bucks were seeking to purchase an expansion team in the then-NBA Development League, listing their five finalist cities as Grand Chute (near Appleton ), La Crosse , Oshkosh , Racine and Sheboygan . On August 3, it was announced that Grand Chute and La Crosse had been eliminated, with Oshkosh, Racine and Sheboygan as the three finalists. On December 19, Oshkosh city officials identified
304-538: A new arena fell through, the NBA could have bought the team and moved it to Las Vegas or Seattle . Current Bucks owners Wes Edens, Marc Lasry and Jamie Dinan combined with Herb Kohl to pledge $ 250 million for a new arena and sought a match from the public. Of those funds, $ 93 million would come from the Wisconsin Center District in the form of new debt on Milwaukee citizens. The district would not commence repaying
456-517: A 108–95 Game 6 loss. He joined Shaquille O'Neal and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players in NBA playoff history to post a 40/20/5 game. The Bucks would go on to lose to Celtics in Game 7 despite Antetokounmpo's 25-point, 20-rebound, and 9-assist outing. He became the first player in NBA history to have 200 points, 100 rebounds, and 50 assists in a playoff series, averaging 33.9 points, 14.7 rebounds, and 7.1 assists against Boston. Antetokounmpo also finished
608-740: A 114–110 loss against the Chicago Bulls . He surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most playoff points in Bucks franchise history. On 1 May, in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals , Antetokounmpo recorded his second career playoff triple-double with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 assists in a 101–89 win over the Boston Celtics . He became the first player in franchise history with multiple career playoff triple-doubles On May 13, Antetokounmpo posted 44 points, 20 rebounds, and 6 assists in
760-763: A 115–102 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves to improve to 8–0, the best start to a season in Milwaukee Bucks franchise history. On December 28, Antetokounmpo scored 45 points, grabbed a career-high 22 rebounds and delivered 7 assists in an 119–113 overtime loss to the Chicago Bulls. The next game, Antetokounmpo had 43 points along with 20 rebounds and 5 assists in a 123–114 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. He joined Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor as
912-537: A 118–111 win over the Toronto Raptors. He also played in his franchise-record 712th game, surpassing Junior Bridgeman . On March 29, Antetokounmpo had 38 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists in a 149–136 victory over the Indiana Pacers . On April 9, Antetokounmpo finished the regular season with a career-high 31.1 points per game and he also led the Bucks to a league-best 58–24 record. Antetokounmpo also became just
1064-608: A 127–104 win in Game 4 over the Detroit Pistons for a four-game sweep. The Bucks went on to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, where they were defeated 4–2 by the eventual champions, the Toronto Raptors, despite winning the first two games. At the 2019 NBA Awards end-of-season night, Antetokounmpo was named the league's Most Valuable Player . He joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the second Bucks player to win MVP and became
1216-560: A 127–120 overtime win over the Detroit Pistons . On November 22, Antetokounmpo logged his 47th career triple-double with 37 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in a 129–117 win over the Indiana Pacers. Antetokounmpo represented Greece for the first time in July 2013 with the Greek Under-20 national team at the 2013 FIBA Europe Under-20 Championship . He helped Greece to an 8–2 record and
1368-675: A 12–2 record in the playoffs, they won their first NBA championship on April 30, 1971, by sweeping the Baltimore Bullets in four games. By winning the championship in only their third season, the Bucks became one of the fastest true expansion teams in North American professional sports history to win a league championship. The Bucks remained a powerhouse for the first half of the 1970s. In 1972, Alcindor, who had already privately converted to Islam and changed his name, publicly announced his name change to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar . The Bucks reached
1520-540: A 130–125 loss to the 76ers. He avenged this loss in an April 4 victory where he recorded 45 points and 13 rebounds in a 128–122 win over the 76ers, helping the Bucks clinch the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Antetokounmpo eventually guided the Bucks to a 60–22 season and the best record in the league. He helped the Bucks advance to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2001 after scoring 41 points in
1672-474: A 142–129 win over the Washington Wizards . He also tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most games with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in Bucks history. On December 13, Antetokounmpo scored a career-high and Bucks record 64 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a 140–126 victory over the Indiana Pacers. He became the first player since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000 to tally 60-plus points without
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#17328585341091824-626: A 15-foot turnaround jumper which gave the Bucks a 105–104 victory over the New York Knicks . With 25 points against the Knicks on January 6, Antetokounmpo had at least 20 points in his 14th consecutive game, matching the longest streak by a Bucks player since Michael Redd in 2006. On January 19, Antetokounmpo was named a starter on the Eastern Conference All-Star team for the 2017 NBA All-Star Game . At 22 years and 74 days old, he became
1976-512: A 1–2 record. Greece was eliminated by Germany in the quarter-finals, in a game in which Antetokounmpo scored 22 points. He averaged a tournament high 25.8 points along with 6.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists in 4 games played, while shooting 67.8% from the field. For his performances, Antetokounmpo was named to the tournament's All-Second Team. From 2014 to 2024, Antetokounmpo played with the senior men's Greek national team in 37 official games, in major FIBA tournaments. In those specific games, he has scored
2128-468: A 5-year, $ 228 million extension, the largest in league history. At the 2021 All-Star Game , he played on the team captained by James and scored 35 points on a perfect 16-of-16 shooting from the field to lead the team to a 170–150 win and became the first non-American to win the All-Star MVP . The Bucks finished the 2020–21 season with a 46–26 record, clinching the third seed in the Eastern Conference. In
2280-680: A 56–17 record. On August 12, Antetokounmpo was suspended for one game without pay for headbutting Moritz Wagner during a game against the Washington Wizards. During the playoffs, the Bucks advanced to the second round but lost 4–1 to the Miami Heat . In Game 2, the Heat's Jimmy Butler was fouled while shooting by Antetokounmpo as time expired, leading to Butler's game-winning walk-off free throws. Antetokounmpo missed most of Game 4 after re-injuring his right ankle which he twisted in Game 3. Milwaukee won
2432-456: A 5–1 record. He averaged 6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds across the six games while shooting 45.8% from the field. Antetokounmpo again joined the Greek national team for EuroBasket 2015 . Greece's roster consisted of many experienced players, most of them previously crowned European champions with their clubs, like Vassilis Spanoulis , Ioannis Bourousis and Nikos Zisis , and Greece was a favorite for
2584-492: A Game 2 loss and a Game 3 victory, joining Shaquille O'Neal in 2000 as the only players to reach those numbers in consecutive Finals games. He also joined Jordan, O'Neal, and James as the only players to put up at least 40 points in back-to-back Finals games in the previous 50 years. The Bucks continued their comeback after having lost the first two games of the series, prevailing in the next four contests. In Game 6, Antetokounmpo recorded 50 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks as
2736-569: A Greek and Nigerian professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). His size, speed, strength, and country of origin have earned him the nickname " Greek Freak ". He is widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time as well as one of the greatest players of all time. Born and raised in Athens to Nigerian parents, Antetokounmpo began playing basketball for
2888-653: A career-high 16 assists, 14 rebounds and 11 points for his 37th career triple-double in a 132–119 win over the San Antonio Spurs . On January 24, 2024, Antetokounmpo recorded his 42nd career triple-double with 35 points, 18 rebounds, 10 assists and 2 blocks in a 126–116 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers . On January 25, Antetokounmpo was named the Eastern Conference captain for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game , marking his eight consecutive selection and fourth as
3040-626: A cartoonish deer, was replaced in favor of a more realistic one. The primary color scheme was altered as well, when red was supplanted by purple. Purple road uniforms replaced the former green away uniforms. In 1997, the Bucks sent all-star forward Vin Baker in a three-team trade to the Seattle SuperSonics , and they would acquire Cleveland Cavaliers guard Terrell Brandon and forward Tyrone Hill . They also traded their 10th overall pick Danny Fortson , guard Johnny Newman , and center Joe Wolf to
3192-400: A fifth-place overall finish while averaging 8.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists across the 10 games. He finished the tournament ranked second in defensive rebounds (7.0) and seventh in blocked shots (1.4). In 2014, Antetokounmpo played for the senior men's Greek national basketball team for the first time, helping Greece finish ninth overall in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup with
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#17328585341093344-498: A first-round pick, Shaun Livingston , Jon Brockman , and Jon Leuer to the Houston Rockets for a first-round pick and Samuel Dalembert . In the 2012 draft, the Bucks selected Doron Lamb and John Henson . After 32 games of the 2012–13 season, the Bucks fired Skiles, their coach since 2008. Jim Boylan was announced as the interim head coach and led the Bucks to a 22–28 record to finish the season at 38–44. The Bucks qualified as
3496-458: A foregone conclusion that the first pick in the draft would be Lew Alcindor of UCLA . The Bucks won the coin flip, but had to win a bidding war with the New York Nets of the upstart American Basketball Association (ABA) to secure him. With the addition of Alcindor, the Bucks finished with a 56–26 record in 1969–70 , second-best in the league behind the New York Knicks . Not only was this
3648-532: A good nickname, saying that bucks were "spirited, good jumpers, fast and agile." The Bucks marked a return of the NBA to Milwaukee after 13 years; their previous team, the Hawks , played for four seasons in the early 1950s before moving to St. Louis in 1955 (they are now based in Atlanta ). In October, the Bucks played their first NBA regular-season game against the Chicago Bulls before a Milwaukee Arena crowd of 8,467. As
3800-492: A gym and basketball hoop, explaining his earlier comments as a means to "get a little bit ahead of the competition." Antetokounmpo and the Bucks resumed their campaign against the Boston Celtics on July 31, where Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to victory with 36 points and 15 rebounds. Although the Bucks finished the seeding games with a 3–5 record, they set the best record in the NBA for the second consecutive year, finishing with
3952-477: A larger market, either Los Angeles or New York. After the front office was unable to convince him to stay, the Bucks obliged Abdul-Jabbar's request by trading him to the Lakers on June 16, 1975, for Elmore Smith , Junior Bridgeman , Brian Winters , and David Meyers . The trade triggered a series of events that led to a change in the team's ownership. Minority owner and cable television executive Jim Fitzgerald opposed
4104-469: A made three-point basket. Antetokounmpo is also the first player in NBA history to make at least 20 field goals and 20 free throws while shooting both at 70% or higher. On December 17, Antetokounmpo put up 26 points and 17 rebounds in a 128–119 win over the Houston Rockets . He also surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the all-time rebounds leader in Bucks history. On December 19, Antetokounmpo had
4256-407: A medal, after showing great form in friendly games. At EuroBasket 2015, Greece was unbeaten in the group stages, and reached the quarter-finals, where a tight game ended in favor of the eventual champions, Spain , eventually finishing fifth with a 7–1 record. Antetokounmpo finished the tournament with three double-doubles, and a career-high 17 rebounds against Spain, leading his team in rebounds for
4408-460: A member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team , and play home games at Fiserv Forum . Former U.S. Senator Herb Kohl was the long-time owner of the team, but on April 16, 2014, a group led by billionaire hedge fund managers Wes Edens and Marc Lasry agreed to purchase a majority interest in the team from Kohl, a sale which
4560-504: A near-reversal of their inaugural season, but the 29-game improvement was the best in league history – a record which would stand for ten years until the Boston Celtics jumped from 29 wins in 1978–79 to 61 in 1979–80 . The Bucks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals, only to be dispatched in five by the Knicks in the Eastern finals. Alcindor was
4712-409: A playoff series (during Jordan's rookie year), and hosting Julius Erving 's final NBA game in the 1987 NBA playoffs , which would see the Bucks advancing with a game five first-round playoff victory. In 1985, Fitzgerald and his partners (one of which was Stuart Shadel) decided to sell the Bucks. Fitzgerald was having health problems and some of his investors wanted to get out, and he was reeling from
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4864-506: A replacement for the BMO Harris Bradley Center, which at the time was the third-oldest arena being used by an NBA team, behind Oracle Arena , and Madison Square Garden . On the court, the young roster of the Bucks went through a step backward, to a 33–49 record in the 2015–16 season, though Giannis Antetokounmpo had an encouraging stretch in the final half of the season, accumulating 5 triple-doubles. On June 18, 2016, ground
5016-510: A result of the knee injury. The series returned to Milwaukee at a 2–2 deadlock, yet the Bucks ended up winning both Games 5 and 6 in his absence, advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time in 47 years. Antetokounmpo returned in time for the finals against the resurgent Phoenix Suns . In his Finals debut, he recorded 20 points and 17 rebounds in a 118–108 loss. He then registered back-to-back games with at least 40 points and 10 rebounds in
5168-439: A result, Antetokounmpo increased his jump-shooting output, averaging a career-high 4.4 three-point goals attempted and 1.4 made per game in 2019–20. Antetokounmpo has also received attention for his playmaking skills. Despite not being the primary ball handler of the Bucks, he has largely orchestrated the team's offense. During the 2019–20 season, Antetokounmpo was responsible (through assisting and personally scoring) for 57.8% of
5320-517: A runaway selection for NBA Rookie of the Year . The following season , the Bucks traded for Cincinnati Royals guard Oscar Robertson to complement Alcindor. Subsequently, the Bucks, now in the Western Conference, finished 66–16, the second-most wins in NBA history at the time, and still a franchise record. During the regular season, the Bucks recorded a then-NBA record 20-game win streak . Posting
5472-575: A score of 66–61. He also played with Greece during their preparation phase for the EuroBasket 2017 . He scored 20 points in a prep game against Montenegro . However, he missed the actual EuroBasket 2017 tournament, due to a knee injury. Antetokounmpo represented Greece at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup , where he became the first reigning NBA MVP to play in a World Cup. He averaged 14.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.4 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game, in 5 games played. Greece finished 11th in
5624-410: A season-high 50 points and grabbed 14 rebounds on 17-of-21 shooting from the field in a 128–119 win against the Indiana Pacers ; it marked only the 12th time in NBA history that a player has scored 50 or more points on 80% shooting or better. On March 29, Antetokounmpo scored 40 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, delivered six assists, and had a game-deciding block on Joel Embiid in the final seconds to lead
5776-607: A significant minority interest in the team. The new owners were expected to keep the team in Milwaukee. They were also expected to contribute $ 100 million toward building a new arena for the franchise. Approval from the NBA Board of Governors came on May 15, a month later. By this time, Bradley Center was seen as obsolete. The donation from the Bradley heirs did not provide for the arena's operating expenses or long-term capital needs. This led
5928-511: A swoon in February and March. The collapse culminated with a loss to the Detroit Pistons on the final night of the season, which eliminated the Bucks from the playoffs and gave the division to the Pistons. The fallout created tension between Karl and the players, resulting in a trade of Glenn Robinson to Atlanta (for Toni Kukoč and a 2003 first-round draft pick, used to select T. J. Ford ). During
6080-482: A then career-high 29 points on 11-of-16 shooting in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans . In the 2015–16 season , Antetokounmpo developed further individually, upping his scoring average to almost 17 points per game. On November 19, he scored a then career-high 33 points in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers . On December 12, he recorded a near triple-double with 11 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists, helping
6232-470: A then career-high 55 points, alongside 10 rebounds and seven assists in a 123–113 win over the Washington Wizards . The next night, Antetokounmpo posted his 31st career triple-double with 30 points, 21 rebounds and 10 assists in a 104–101 overtime win against the Toronto Raptors . He tied John Havlicek and Draymond Green for 15th place on the NBA's all-time triple-double list. Antetokounmpo also became
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6384-463: A then playoff career-high 28 points in a 97–83 win over the third-seed Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series. In Game 5 of the series on April 24, Antetokounmpo set a new playoff career-high with 30 points, but could not lead the Bucks to a win as they lost 118–93 to go down 3–2 in the series. The Bucks went on to lose Game 6 three days later despite a 34-point effort from Antetokounmpo, ending their season. Antetokounmpo began
6536-503: A torn hamstring during a practice. Even so, the Bucks remained competitive, staying around .500 for the first half of the season, with both Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker leading the offense. While Parker missed making the All-Star team, Giannis was voted in as a starter, becoming the first Bucks All-Star since Michael Redd in 2004. In January, the Bucks slumped, though fans anticipated a turnaround with Middleton's return on February 8 against
6688-422: A total of 725 points, for a scoring average of 19.6 points per game. Standing 6 feet 11 inches (2.11 m) tall and weighing 242 pounds (110 kg), Antetokounmpo is officially listed as a forward and sometimes described as a point forward , but has been deployed across all five positions . Highly athletic and versatile, Antetokounmpo is often recognized as one of the best all-around players in
6840-406: A triple-double of 26 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists in a losing effort. The Bucks were eliminated in five games, despite Antetokounmpo's 38-point, 20-rebound outing in a 128–126 closeout overtime loss in Game 5. On October 23, 2023, Antetokounmpo signed a three-year, $ 186 million extension with the Bucks. On November 9, Antetokounmpo scored 54 points and put up 12 rebounds in a 126–124 loss to
6992-400: Is also a proficient shot-blocker and has developed a reputation for blocking opponents in transition (the chase-down block). With Antetokounmpo in this role, the Bucks have flourished into one of the league's best defensive teams, leading the NBA in defensive rating in 2018–19 and 2019–20. For his defensive efforts, Antetokounmpo won the 2020 NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and he has become
7144-464: Is typical with expansion teams, the Bucks' first season ( 1968–69 ) was a struggle. Their first victory came in their sixth game as the Bucks beat the Detroit Pistons 134–118; they won only 26 more games in their first year. That year, the Bucks' record earned them a coin flip against their expansion cousins, the Phoenix Suns , to see who would get the first pick in the upcoming draft. It was considered
7296-524: The Milwaukee Business Journal reported that the Bucks had chosen Oshkosh's bid, with the team making the official announcement on February 8. On June 8, the Wisconsin Herd name was announced, with the logo unveiled on June 22. On July 1, 2017, Dave Dean was named the team's general manager and the coaching staff was announced on September 22. The team was in first place in the league during
7448-675: The 2002–03 season , the Bucks traded Ray Allen and backup Ronald "Flip" Murray to the Seattle SuperSonics for Gary Payton and Desmond Mason . The trade allowed emerging star Michael Redd to see increased playing time, and with Payton in the backcourt, they finished the season with a 42–40 record. The Bucks made the playoffs, but lost in the first round to the New Jersey Nets in six games. That offseason, team leaders Sam Cassell and Ervin Johnson were traded to Minnesota (for Joe Smith ). Payton left via free agency, after playing only 28 games for
7600-609: The 2013 NBA draft . He fulfilled his draft projections as a first-round pick by being selected 15th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks . On July 30, 2013, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Bucks. Antetokounmpo made his NBA debut on October 13, 2013, at the age of 18 years, 311 days, as one of the youngest NBA players ever . He averaged 6.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 77 appearances during his rookie season. He scored in double figures 23 times and grabbed at least 10 rebounds twice, with both efforts resulting in double-doubles. He finished
7752-499: The 2017–18 season on a tear, scoring 175 points over the first five games of the season, including a then career-high 44 points in a 113–110 win over the Portland Trail Blazers . He averaged almost 27 points during the season, earning his second straight All-Star nomination and All-NBA selection, and broke Kareem Abdul Jabbar's franchise record for triple-doubles. In Game 1 of the Bucks' first-round playoff series against
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#17328585341097904-565: The 2019–20 season and had clinched a playoff spot when the season was curtailed by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. The Herd was then one of 11 teams that opted out of participating in the single-site 2020–21 season where all league games were played at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida . All Bucks' two-way players could be assigned to
8056-434: The 2022–23 season , Antetokounmpo recorded 44 points and 12 rebounds on 17-of-21 shooting from the field, playing less than 28 minutes in a 125–105 win over the Houston Rockets; marking just the fifth time in NBA history a player had scored at least 44 points while playing less than 28 minutes. He went 8 of 13 from the foul line to increase his total to 3,508 free throws eclipsing Sidney Moncrief, who made 3,505 free throws with
8208-449: The Boston Celtics , Antetokounmpo recorded 35 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists in a 113–107 overtime loss. Antetokounmpo's game-winning tip-in in Game 4 equalized the series at two games a piece. However, the Celtics would go on to eliminate the Bucks in seven games, in spite of Antetokounmpo's 22 points and nine rebounds in Game 7. Starting from the 2018–19 season , Antetokounmpo and
8360-484: The Brooklyn Nets in exchange for two second-round draft picks in the 2015 NBA draft , and the 2019 NBA draft . With the acquisition of Kidd, the team fired coach Larry Drew . With the many changes to the Bucks in ownership, coaches, and acquiring new young players to rebuild the team, the Bucks' new slogan for the 2014–15 season became " Own The Future ." The Bucks' overall play vastly improved, and on December 26,
8512-414: The Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns , became head coach. On June 26, 2008, the Bucks acquired Richard Jefferson from the New Jersey Nets in a trade for 2007 first-round draft pick Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons . Later that day, the Bucks selected West Virginia's Joe Alexander with the eighth pick of the NBA draft. Alexander was the first Taiwanese-born player in the NBA. In the 2009 NBA draft ,
8664-456: The Denver Nuggets for center Ervin Johnson . The 1997–98 Bucks finished their season with a 36–46 record, failing to make the playoffs for the seventh consecutive time. After a decade of dwelling near the bottom of the NBA's standings, the Bucks looked to add credibility to their basketball operations. In 1998, the team hired veteran coach George Karl , who had reached the NBA Finals with
8816-411: The Detroit Pistons in five games. During that period, Michael Redd blossomed into an all-star and a perimeter shooting threat, becoming the new "face of the franchise". The Bucks received the first pick in the 2005 NBA draft , and used it to select center Andrew Bogut . Bogut struggled with both inconsistency and injuries in his first four years in Milwaukee, but over time became a key contributor to
8968-428: The EuroBasket 2022 with Greece, his second of such tournament. On September 6, Antetokounmpo scored 41 points in a 99–79 group stage win over Ukraine . This was the twelfth-highest points tally of all time, and the most points scored in a EuroBasket game since Dirk Nowitzki in 2001 . Greece was eliminated by Germany in the quarter-finals, in a game in which Antetokounmpo had 31 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists but
9120-567: The Golden State Warriors with 30 points, 12 rebounds, 11 assists, and 3 blocks, leading both teams in such stats, in less than thirty minutes, and became the first player to record multiple 30-point triple-doubles in 30 minutes; he tied Jordan's career mark of 28 triple-doubles, ranking 18th all-time. On February 6, in a 137–113 win over the Los Angeles Clippers , Antetokounmpo recorded 28 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists, as
9272-670: The Greek transcription of Adetokunbo , which was then transliterated letter-for-letter and officially spelled on his Greek passport as Antetokounmpo . Giannis is a Modern Greek variant of Ioannes (John). Because many NBA fans could not pronounce his surname, he quickly became known as the "Greek Freak". Antetokounmpo also holds Nigerian citizenship, having received his Nigerian passport in 2015, and as such possesses dual citizenship . He has stated that he feels both Greek and Nigerian and that he embraces both his Greek, as well as his African/Nigerian identity. Antetokounmpo played with
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#17328585341099424-617: The Indiana Pacers . He also joined Michael Jordan as the only players since the ABA–NBA merger to put up at least eight 50-point and 10-rebound games in their career. On November 18, Antetokounmpo recorded 40 points, 15 rebounds and 7 assists in a 132–125 win over the Dallas Mavericks . He became the youngest player (28 years, 347 days) to record 16,000+ points, 7,000+ rebounds and 3,000+ assists in an NBA career. On November 20, Antetokounmpo put up 42 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists in
9576-526: The Lakeland Magic . The Herd returned for the 2021–22 season with former assistant coach Chaisson Allen as the team's new head coach and Tony Bollier as general manager. Roster Last transaction: November 26, 2024 Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee . The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as
9728-489: The Most Improved Player award in 2017. Antetokounmpo has received eight All-Star selections, including being selected as an All-Star captain in 2019, 2020, 2023 and 2024 as he led the Eastern Conference in voting in these four years. One of the most decorated players in NBA history, Antetokounmpo won consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player Awards in 2019 and 2020, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James as
9880-507: The Seattle SuperSonics . Under the leadership of Karl and general manager Ernie Grunfeld , and with the steady addition of talent such as Tim Thomas and Sam Cassell , the Bucks developed into an elite team in the Eastern Conference. The nucleus of the "big three"—consisting of Ray Allen , Cassell, and Robinson—along with Karl, created a successful renaissance era in Milwaukee. The team reached its zenith in 2000–2001, winning 52 games and their first division title in 15 years. The Bucks reached
10032-591: The Utah Jazz . After a December 14 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Antetokounmpo had led the Bucks to their 18th straight victory, 2 shy of the franchise record. The winning streak ended on December 16 with a close loss to the Dallas Mavericks, despite Antetokounmpo recording an efficient 48 points and 14 rebounds. On December 19, Antetokounmpo made a career-high five three-pointers to lead Milwaukee over
10184-490: The #6 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, and lost in the opening round to the Toronto Raptors, 4–2. On May 23, 2017, Bucks general manager John Hammond stepped down to become general manager with the Orlando Magic . On January 22, 2018, the Bucks fired Jason Kidd , who had a 23–22 record in the 2017–18 season. In Kidd's three and a half seasons as head coach, the Bucks had a regular-season record of 139–152 and reached
10336-494: The 2001 Eastern Conference Finals by defeating the Charlotte Hornets. They lost the Eastern Conference finals in seven games to the 76ers. This era became known for many Bucks fans as the "Let It Fly" era, due to the high-scoring offense of the team, personified by the shooting of Robinson and Allen. After coming within one game of an NBA Finals appearance in 2001, the Bucks sought to make key off-season player additions to put
10488-424: The 2012–13 Greek A2 League season, Antetokounmpo shot 46.4% from the field (62.1% on two-point field goals), 31.3% from three-point range, and 72.0% from the free throw line, while averaging 22.5 minutes per game. Over 26 games, he averaged 9.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.0 blocks per game. He was also selected by the coaches as a special participant in the 2013 Greek League All-Star Game . Even though he
10640-482: The Bradley Center were sold to BMO Harris Bank , a division of Bank of Montreal . BMO Harris had merged with Milwaukee-based M&I Bank a year earlier. After the heirs to the Bradley fortune gave their approval, the arena was renamed the "BMO Harris Bradley Center". For most of the 1990s, the Bucks franchise was mired in mediocrity under coaches Frank Hamblen , Mike Dunleavy , and Chris Ford . They would make
10792-603: The Bucks achieved a period of sustained team success. Under new coach Mike Budenholzer , the Bucks began the season with seven consecutive victories and went 25–10 before the New Year. Antetokounmpo was critical to this early success, earning the Eastern Conference Player of the Month awards for October, November, December and February. On March 17, Antetokounmpo scored a then career-high 52 points to go with 16 rebounds in
10944-592: The Bucks beat the Atlanta Hawks 107–77 for their 15th win, matching their win total of the previous season just 30 games in. The Bucks then went on a stretch from January 24 to February 20, where they went 10–2. The Bucks beat the Sacramento Kings on February 11 for their 30th win of the year, and also became the first-ever NBA team to double their win total from the previous season before the All-Star Break. Off
11096-448: The Bucks became the first team in NBA history to see their entire starting lineup recorded at least 15 points, five rebounds, and two three-pointers in the same game. On February 8, 2022, in a 131–116 win against the Lakers, Antetokounmpo scored 44 points with 14 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 blocks, and 0 turnovers on 17-of-20 shooting from the field; it was his 20 straight game recording at least 25 points. On February 15, Antetokounmpo scored
11248-476: The Bucks clinched their first championship in 50 years. He posted series averages of 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks, and was subsequently named NBA Finals MVP by a unanimous vote. At 26 years, 226 days old, he is the youngest since Kawhi Leonard in 2014 to be named Finals MVP, as well as the first European since Dirk Nowitzki in 2011 to do so. Antetokounmpo also joined Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon as
11400-541: The Bucks finish an Eastern Conference-best 14–4 in March, the franchise's first calendar month with at least 14 victories since going 16–2 in February 1971. Antetokounmpo led the Bucks in every one of the five major statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks) in the 2016–17 regular season, becoming only the fifth NBA player to do so after Dave Cowens , Scottie Pippen , Kevin Garnett , and LeBron James ; Nikola Jokić has since matched it. He also became
11552-416: The Bucks had three first-round picks and drafted Kent Benson , Marques Johnson and Ernie Grunfeld . Johnson would become a staple in the Bucks for years to come. Rookie Sidney Moncrief made his debut in 1979. Don Nelson went on to win two NBA Coach of the Year awards with the Bucks, both during seasons where the team won division titles, in 1983 and 1985. On October 18, 1977, Abdul-Jabbar, playing with
11704-406: The Bucks only had four players on their roster from the previous season. The season itself was a struggle, as the Bucks finished with the worst record in the league at 15–67, the worst record in team history. On April 16, 2014, long-time Bucks owner Herb Kohl agreed to sell a majority interest of the team to New York-based billionaires Wes Edens , and Marc Lasry for $ 550 million, but Kohl retained
11856-550: The Bucks saw both individual and team development. On February 6, 2015, he recorded a then career-high 27 points and 15 rebounds in a loss to the Houston Rockets . Three days later, he was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played February 2–8, earning Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career. He later competed in the 2015 NBA Slam Dunk Contest at NBA All-Star Weekend in New York. On March 9, he scored
12008-501: The Bucks snap the Golden State Warriors ' 24-game unbeaten start to the season with a 108–95 win. On February 22, 2016, Antetokounmpo recorded his first career triple-double with 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 108–101 win over the Los Angeles Lakers . At 21 years old, he became the youngest Buck to record a triple-double. On September 19, 2016, Antetokounmpo agreed to a four-year, $ 100 million contract extension with
12160-475: The Bucks then lost in game seven, and did not return to the NBA Finals until 2021. As the 1974–1975 season began, Abdul-Jabbar suffered a hand injury and the Bucks got off to a 3–13 start. After his return, other injuries befell the team, sending them to the bottom of their division with a 38–44 record. When the season ended, Abdul-Jabbar announced that he no longer wished to play for the Bucks and wanted to play in
12312-423: The Bucks to a 118–116 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers . The following game, Antetokounmpo scored 44 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and dished out 6 assists in a 120–119 overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets . He passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the career-leading scorer in Bucks franchise history. Antetokounmpo's record-setting 3-pointer forced overtime, and he made two free throws in the final seconds to seal
12464-414: The Bucks' colors were forest green, deep red and white. In 1978, they added various shades of green to the uniforms, and in 1985, they eliminated red from the team colors. Noteworthy for the 1980s Bucks is that in 1983 they became the first, and until 2003 , only team in NBA history to sweep the Boston Celtics in a best-of-seven playoff series, being the first team to meet and defeat Michael Jordan in
12616-407: The Bucks' resurgence during the late 1990s. At the 1998 NBA draft , the Bucks made a trade that would come back to haunt them for years. At the draft, the Bucks selected Dirk Nowitzki with the ninth overall pick, but traded him to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Robert Traylor . Many rank this as one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history, as Nowitzki would go onto a 21-season career with
12768-483: The Bucks, to become the franchise career free throws leader. In the very next game, Antetokounmpo had 43 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks in a 110–99 win against the Brooklyn Nets; 34 of his points came in the second half as the Bucks turned a 12-point deficit at halftime into an 11-point victory. On November 4, Antetokounmpo recorded his 30th career triple-double with 26 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists in
12920-443: The Bucks. In 2006, the team finished 40–42, last in their division, 24 games behind Detroit, but still made the playoffs in a season where every team in their division did. They were paired as the eighth seed versus the 64–18 conference-leading Pistons. They won game three at home, but lost the other four in a 4–1 series loss. Also in March, the Bucks announced that they would not renew general manager Larry Harris 's contract, which
13072-410: The Bucks. Antetokounmpo's fourth year with the Bucks would be his breakout season, as he further increased his statistical output and ascended to stardom. On December 23, he had a then career-high 39 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in a 123–96 win over the Washington Wizards . A couple of weeks later, Antetokounmpo recorded 27 points and 13 rebounds and made his first game-winning buzzer-beater,
13224-489: The Bucks. Karl's tenure also ended after the season. Within a one-year period, the team had lost the coach and players most responsible for the team's success during that era. Under the direction of new general manager Larry Harris , the Bucks struggled with inconsistency and injury for the next six years. During that period, they reached the playoffs twice, first under coach Terry Porter in 2004 and then under Terry Stotts in 2006 . In both instances, they were defeated by
13376-402: The Charlotte Hornets 89–79 to clinch only the third winning season for the Bucks since 2001. The team finished the 2016–17 regular season with a 42–40 record. Giannis Antetokounmpo made history, becoming only the 5th player in NBA history to lead his team in all five major statistical categories, and was the first in NBA history to finish in the top 20 in the league in each category. The Bucks were
13528-412: The Lakers, punched Benson during a game. Abdul-Jabbar broke his hand in the process. Benson had been aggressive under the boards and Abdul-Jabbar, a martial arts blackbelt , snapped. Abdul-Jabbar was fined $ 5,000 by the NBA and missed the next 20 games. Meanwhile, Benson never played as aggressively again and the Bucks traded him to the Detroit Pistons in 1980 for veteran center Bob Lanier to fill in
13680-513: The Mavericks, winning a championship in 2011 while being named Finals MVP in the process, along with winning the NBA MVP award in 2007. Meanwhile, Traylor would spend just two seasons with the Bucks before joining the Cleveland Cavaliers . After the franchise's 25th anniversary in 1993, the Bucks overhauled their logo and uniforms. The colors were green, purple, and silver. The old logo, which featured
13832-510: The Miami Heat. In the same game, however, Parker tore his ACL for the second time in 3 seasons, ending his season. Even so, Middleton's return still sparked a turnaround in March. During the month, the Bucks went 14–4, putting the team back in the thick of the playoff race. On April 8, 2017, the Bucks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 90–82, clinching the Bucks a playoff spot. On April 10, the Bucks beat
13984-457: The Milwaukee Bucks selected point guard Brandon Jennings , who had not gone to college but played in Italy the previous year. Midway through the season, Bucks' general manager John Hammond traded Hakim Warrick to the Chicago Bulls , and acquired John Salmons . In a Bucks uniform, Salmons averaged a team-leading 19.9 points per game. The play of Jennings, along with the improvement of Andrew Bogut,
14136-419: The Milwaukee community. The Bucks finished the 2014–15 season with a 41–41 record. Their 26-game improvement from the previous season was the second-highest in franchise history. The Bucks made the 2015 NBA playoffs as the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference, where they faced the Chicago Bulls in the first round, losing in six games. On July 6, 2015, Bucks president Peter Feigin stated if public funding for
14288-456: The NBA to give an ultimatum to Edens and Lasry–unless the Bucks were either close to getting a new arena or actually opening a new arena by the 2017–18 season, Edens and Lasry would be required to return the franchise to the league, which would sell it to prospective ownership groups in Las Vegas and Seattle . On July 1, 2014, the Milwaukee Bucks secured the coaching rights for Jason Kidd from
14440-616: The NBA's Most Valuable Player while playing for the Bucks, for a total of five MVP awards. They both are also the only players to win Finals MVP for the franchise. The Bucks are the only NBA team to have won a championship in both the Eastern and Western Conference. On January 22, 1968, the NBA awarded a franchise to Milwaukee Professional Sports and Services, Inc. (Milwaukee Pro), a group headed by Wesley Pavalon and Marvin Fishman. A fan contest
14592-439: The NBA, and many analysts have declared him "positionless" and as embodying the future of the league. By the 2016–17 season , Antetokounmpo had established himself as one of the league's most devastating slashers and transition scorers. His rare combination of size and speed frequently enables him to cross half a court in a single dribble and blowing past multiple defenders. A 2017 analysis conducted by Stats SportVU at
14744-569: The Western top seed, the Los Angeles Lakers and helped the Bucks claim the NBA's best record at 25–4. On January 23, 2020, Antetokounmpo was named an All-Star Game captain, alongside James, for the second consecutive year. During the season postponement that lasted from early March to the end of July, due to the COVID-19 pandemic , Antetokounmpo claimed to not have a basketball hoop to practice with. He later clarified that he did have access to
14896-635: The Year Michael Carter-Williams , Miles Plumlee , and Tyler Ennis . The Bucks also lost expected superstar Jabari Parker to a season-ending knee injury on December 15 in a game against the Phoenix Suns. On January 25, the NBA passed the ' Jay-Z Rule', prohibiting ownership groups from consisting of more than 25 individuals, and also mandating that no ownership interest in a team be smaller than 1%. Both Lasry and Edens had sold chunks of Bucks ownership to family, friends, and prominent members of
15048-453: The Year Award winner Sidney Moncrief for most selections in franchise history. On May 24, Antetokounmpo was selected to his fourth consecutive All-NBA First Team and sixth consecutive overall. He became the first player in club history to earn six All-NBA team honors, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Sidney Moncrief for the most in franchise history. On October 22, in the second game of
15200-453: The behest of FiveThirtyEight showed that Antetokounmpo was able to cover slightly more than 15 feet off a single dribble when driving to the basket, 5 feet further than the average player in the league. In addition, Antetokounmpo has developed his own version of the Euro step , described by Jordan Brenner of ESPN.com as "the final phase of the move's evolution", which allows him to directly attack
15352-501: The bonds until 13 years thereafter. On July 9, 2015, the Bucks confirmed their signing of center Greg Monroe to a three-year, $ 50 million contract. The Bucks also announced the club's re-signing of Khris Middleton to a five-year, $ 70 million contract. On July 15, 2015, the future for the Bucks in Milwaukee was solidified after the Wisconsin State Senate voted 21–10 in favor of a proposal to use public money to help finance
15504-456: The captain. On March 26, Antetokounmpo posted his 44th career triple-double with 29 points, a season-high 21 rebounds, 11 assists and 3 blocks in a 128–124 double overtime loss against the Los Angeles Lakers . On April 9, Antetokounmpo suffered a calf injury, and missed the remainder of the regular season, as well as the entirety of the 2024 NBA playoffs . On November 13, 2024, Antetokounmpo recorded 59 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists in
15656-458: The court, the Bucks made several changes to their roster, releasing Larry Sanders after several off-court incidents that led to multiple suspensions. On February 19, in the final minutes of the trade deadline, the Bucks became part of a 3-way deal with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Phoenix Suns, sending Brandon Knight, who was in the final year of his contract, to the Suns, and receiving reigning Rookie of
15808-436: The division/conference finals for the third year in a row, but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. In 1973, they recorded their third consecutive 60-win season, the first NBA team to do so, but injuries resulted in an early playoff exit. The Bucks were back in the 1974 NBA Finals against the Celtics. In game six of the series, Abdul-Jabbar made his famous " sky hook " shot in a classic double-overtime victory. However,
15960-464: The eighth seed, where they were quickly swept 4–0 by the reigning, and eventual champions, the Miami Heat . Jim Boylan was relieved of his coaching duties and ex-Atlanta Hawks coach Larry Drew was hired. On June 27, 2013, the Bucks chose Greek forward Giannis Antetokounmpo with the 15th overall pick of the 2013 NBA draft . They also brought in O. J. Mayo , Carlos Delfino , Zaza Pachulia , and Gary Neal as well as seeing Monta Ellis opt-out of
16112-418: The failure of Sportsvue , a pioneering regional sports network–a failure that came in part because Milwaukee itself was not wired for cable. By then, Milwaukee Arena was the smallest arena in the NBA, and the city did not want to build a new one. Milwaukee businessman and future U.S. Senator Herb Kohl bought the Bucks after fears that out-of-town investors could buy the team and move it out of Milwaukee. Before
16264-500: The field, 3-of-4 from three, 7-of-12 from the free throw line. This marked the 10th time this season that Antetokounmpo has scored at least 40 points, matching the career high he set last year for 40-point games in a single season. On February 2, Antetokounmpo scored 20 of his 54 points in the fourth quarter, along with 19 rebounds and the Milwaukee Bucks overcame a 21-point deficit to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 106–105 for their sixth consecutive victory. He joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as
16416-407: The final year of his contract. The Bucks also agreed to sign-and-trade Brandon Jennings to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Brandon Knight , Khris Middleton , and Viacheslav Kravtsov . The Bucks later extended their contract with Larry Sanders with a four-year, $ 44 million contract and traded Ish Smith and Kravtsov to the Phoenix Suns for Caron Butler . By the start of the 2013–14 season,
16568-592: The first player in NBA history to finish in the top 20 in the league in each of the five major categories in a regular season. As a result of his efforts, Antetokounmpo was named to the All-NBA Second Team , earning his first All-NBA honor. He was also named the recipient of the NBA Most Improved Player Award for the 2016–17 season, becoming the first player in Bucks history to be named Most Improved Player. On April 15, 2017, Antetokounmpo scored
16720-436: The first player to total 200+ points, 80+ rebounds, and 30+ assists over a 5-game span since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1972. On January 23, Antetokounmpo was named the Eastern Conference captain for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game , which marked his seventh overall selection. On January 29, Antetokounmpo posted 50 points and 13 rebounds while playing only 30 minutes in a 135–110 win over New Orleans Pelicans . He shot 20-of-26 from
16872-412: The first round of the NBA playoffs in the 2014–15 and 2016–17 seasons. Bucks' assistant coach Joe Prunty was announced as Kidd's replacement on an interim basis for the rest of the season. Prunty finished the season with a 21–16 record, leading the Bucks to an overall 44–38 record, their best since the 2009–10 season. Seeded seventh in the 2017–18 Eastern Conference playoffs, the Bucks lost the series to
17024-597: The first round of the playoffs, they faced a rematch against the Miami Heat. In a stark reversal of their upset loss the prior year, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to a four-game sweep, closing out the series with his first playoff triple-double in Game 4. Antetokounmpo also led the Bucks to a seven-game series win over the Brooklyn Nets in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, where he averaged 31.9 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game. On June 29, 2021, Antetokounmpo suffered an injury to his left knee during
17176-603: The former site of the Buckstaff Furniture Company as the site for their arena proposal for the team, with the Fox Valley Pro Basketball group submitting a bid to the city's planning commission on January 11. The Planning Commission approved it on January 19, with the Oshkosh Common Council approving it on January 24, conditional on the Bucks choosing Oshkosh as their home. On February 7, 2017,
17328-539: The former, and due to his lack of understanding of the Yoruba or Igbo languages in the latter. For the first 18 years of his life, Adetokunbo could not travel outside the country and was effectively stateless , having no papers from Greece or Nigeria. He was eventually issued Greek citizenship on May 9, 2013, less than two months before the NBA draft . After gaining Greek citizenship, his official surname became Αντετοκούνμπο ,
17480-422: The game, but Antetokounmpo was also out for Game 5, when the Bucks were eliminated. On September 18, 2020, Antetokounmpo won his second consecutive Most Valuable Player award. In doing so, he joined Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Jordan as the only players to win MVP and NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards in the same season. On December 15, 2020, Antetokounmpo re-signed with the Bucks, coming to terms on
17632-460: The hole left by the departure of Abdul-Jabbar. They then won the Midwest Division title in 1980. After losing to Seattle in the semi-finals, the Bucks moved to the Eastern Conference 's Central Division . There, they would win six straight division titles and have .500 seasons for the next 11 years. Within those years, the Bucks became perennial Eastern Conference contenders, primarily due to
17784-524: The improved Ersan İlyasova , and the Salmons trade, catapulted the team to be a playoff contender. At the beginning of the season, the Bucks had low playoffs expectations; they had not been in four years. In October, the Bucks quickly fell behind the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Central Division, but Milwaukee ultimately clinched a playoff berth on April 6, 2010, with a road win over the Chicago Bulls . It
17936-707: The only players in Bucks history to have at least three 50-point games in a season. The next game, Antetokounmpo logged his 32nd career triple-double with 35 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists in a 123–115 win over the Miami Heat . On February 16, Antetokounmpo surpassed Paul Pressey for the most assists in Bucks franchise history. On February 19, his team won the 2023 NBA All-Star Game 184–175, defeating Team LeBron. The win marked Team Giannis' first (and only) win in an NBA All-Star Game, having previously lost in 2019 and 2020. On March 19, Antetokounmpo had his 33rd career triple-double, making all nine of his field goal attempts. He recorded 22 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in
18088-479: The only players in NBA history to win two MVPs before turning 26. Along with his MVP award, he was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, becoming only the third player, after Michael Jordan (1988) and Hakeem Olajuwon (1994), to win both awards in the same season. In 2021 , Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to their first NBA championship since 1971 and was named Finals MVP . The same year, he
18240-464: The only players in NBA history with back-to-back games of at least 40 points, 20 rebounds and 5 assists. Antetokounmpo also became just the seventh player with multiple games of 40 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists and 60% shooting. Since the NBA–ABA Merger in 1976–77 season , Charles Barkley and Antetokounmpo are the only players to do this multiple times. On January 3, 2023, Antetokounmpo recorded
18392-458: The only players to have won the MVP, Finals MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year awards during the span of their careers. On October 19, 2021, after receiving his first NBA championship ring in the annual pre-game ceremony, Antetokounmpo recorded 32 points, 14 rebounds, and seven assists in a 127–104 season-opening win over the Nets. On January 13, 2022, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to a 118–99 win over
18544-415: The playoffs only three times during the 1990s, winning only one playoff game. From 1991 through 1998, the Bucks suffered a franchise-record seven straight losing seasons. During this period, the Bucks drafted Glenn Robinson with the first overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft and in 1996 acquired rookie Ray Allen in a draft-day trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves . Both players would have prominent roles in
18696-410: The playoffs. With Bogut sidelined for the rest of the season and Stephen Jackson and head coach Scott Skiles not seeing eye-to-eye, the Bucks decided to trade both players. On March 13, 2012, 48 hours before the trade deadline, the Bucks traded Bogut and Jackson to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Monta Ellis , Ekpe Udoh , and Kwame Brown . Before the 2012 NBA draft , the Bucks sent
18848-406: The points the Bucks scored while he was on the floor, one of the highest rates in the league. He averaged nearly 6 assists per game during both the 2018–19 and 2019–20 seasons. Antetokounmpo is also recognized as an elite defensive player, capable of guarding all five positions but more often deployed in a " free safety " role that allows him to roam the paint and discourage attacks on the rim. He
19000-472: The postseason by averaging 31.7 points, 14.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists across the 12 playoff games his Milwaukee Bucks played. He is therefore the first player in NBA history to average a 31-14-6 line across an entire postseason. On May 21, Antetokounmpo was selected to his fourth consecutive NBA All-Defensive First Team , which was the fifth career all-defensive team selection for him. It tied him with Hall of Famer and former two-time NBA Defensive Player of
19152-511: The rim from the three-point arc in a move that "renders the area between the top of the key and the basket all but undefendable". However, Antetokounmpo has been criticized for his lack of a reliable jump shot, having shot above 31% from three-point range just once in his career. Antetokounmpo's jumper has been exploited by other teams. Most famously, the Toronto Raptors built a 'wall' of lengthy, adept defenders to neutralise Antetokounmpo's paint dominance in their 2019 Conference Finals victory. As
19304-536: The season with 61 total blocks, which led all NBA rookies, and was the seventh-most by a Bucks rookie in franchise history. He was selected to participate in the Rising Stars Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend in New Orleans, where he tallied nine points, two rebounds, and two assists in 17 minutes. At the season's end, he was named to the 2013–14 NBA All-Rookie second team . Antetokounmpo's second season with
19456-438: The second player in NBA history (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the other) to average 30 points or more, 10-plus rebounds and 5-plus assists while shooting at least 55% from the field. In the first round of the 2023 NBA playoffs , Antetokounmpo and the Bucks faced the Miami Heat. In Game 1, Antetokounmpo suffered a lower back contusion that ruled him out for the remainder of Game 1, and the next two games. He returned in Game 4, scoring
19608-401: The second-seeded Boston Celtics , 4–3. On May 17, 2018, the Bucks announced former San Antonio Spurs ' assistant coach and former Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer as their new head coach. On August 26, 2018, the Bucks' new arena, Fiserv Forum , opened to the public. Giannis Antetokounmpo Giannis Sina Ugo Antetokounmpo ( né Adetokunbo ; born December 6, 1994) is
19760-423: The senior men's team of Filathlitikos in the semi-pro Greek B Basket League (Third Division) during the 2011–12 season. In December 2012, a few days after turning 18, Antetokounmpo signed a four-year deal with Spanish club CAI Zaragoza , reportedly including NBA buyouts after each season. Several other major European clubs had been interested in adding him, including Barcelona and Anadolu Efes . During
19912-427: The sixth seed and were eliminated in a seven-game series against the Atlanta Hawks . It was the farthest Milwaukee had gotten in the post-season since 2001 . The Bucks' short playoff run was also in part due to Bogut suffering a broken arm after making an awkward fall after a dunk in a late-season game, thus ending his season. In the 2010–11 season, the Bucks finished ninth in the Eastern Conference, just out of reach of
20064-701: The son of immigrants from Nigeria, Giannis Sina Ugo Adetokunbo was born in Athens , Greece, on December 6, 1994. His father was a soccer player and his mother was a high jumper in Nigeria. Three years earlier, they had moved from Lagos , leaving their firstborn son, Francis, under the care of his grandparents. Adetokunbo grew up in the Athens neighborhood of Sepolia in a primarily Nigerian household . His parents, as immigrants without work permits, could not easily find work, so Giannis and his older brother Thanasis helped by hawking watches, handbags, and sunglasses in
20216-450: The streets. In 2007, Adetokunbo started playing basketball. Although Adetokunbo and three of his four brothers were born in Greece, they did not automatically receive Greek citizenship as Greek nationality law follows jus sanguinis . Growing up, he sometimes felt like an outsider to both the Greek and Nigerian communities in Athens due to his parents' heritage and different skin color in
20368-457: The strong play of Moncrief, Marques Johnson , Paul Pressey , Junior Bridgeman and the arrival of Craig Hodges , Terry Cummings , Ricky Pierce and Jack Sikma from trades with the Los Angeles Clippers and Seattle SuperSonics respectively. However, the Bucks were unable to make it to the NBA Finals again, being eliminated by either the Celtics or the Sixers each time. For much of the 1970s,
20520-453: The team in the NBA Finals. Behind the strong encouragement of George Karl, the Bucks acquired forward Anthony Mason at the beginning of the 2001–02 season . On paper, this move made the Bucks the team to beat in the East. However, Mason battled with his weight and had a tough time finding his role. The Bucks, who at the season's midway point were the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, went into
20672-419: The third quarter of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Atlanta Hawks after slamming into Clint Capela and landing awkwardly, resulting in a gruesome hyperextension. Antetokounmpo would not return to the game, and the Bucks lost 110–88. MRI results would later show that he did not suffer any ligament tears. Antetokounmpo was ruled out for both Games 5 and 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals as
20824-410: The third youngest player to win the MVP over the previous 40 seasons, behind Derrick Rose and LeBron James. Antetokounmpo began the 2019–20 season with a triple-double, recording 30 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists in a 117–111 season-opening win over the Houston Rockets on October 24, 2019. On November 25, Antetokounmpo scored a season-high 50 points, along with 14 rebounds, in a 122–118 win over
20976-477: The tournament after they failed to advance past the second round, which was regarded as a disappointing result in national and international sports media. He rejoined the team in August 2022. On August 25, 2022, Antetokounmpo scored a national team career-high 40 points, along with 8 rebounds and 5 assists, in a 94–100 overtime loss to Serbia in the 2023 World Cup qualifiers. In September, Antetokounmpo played in
21128-491: The tournament. In eight games, he averaged 9.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. Antetokounmpo also played with Greece at the 2016 Turin FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament , where he averaged 15.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.7 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game in 3 games played. Greece failed to qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics , after being eliminated by Croatia , by
21280-450: The trade and wanted to sell his stock. After the deal, the Bucks had several seasons in transition, but most of these players would go on to help the team. After being sold to Fitzgerald and several partners in 1976, the Bucks would enter into another era of greatness. It began with Don Nelson who became head coach in November 1976 after Larry Costello abruptly resigned. In the 1977 draft,
21432-529: The transaction was complete, broadcaster Lloyd Pettit and his wife, Jane Bradley Pettit , announced they were donating a new arena called the Bradley Center . In 2003, after considering selling the team, Kohl announced that he had decided against selling the Bucks to Michael Jordan and would "continue to own them, improve them and commit them to remaining in Wisconsin". On May 21, 2012, the naming rights of
21584-417: The victory for the Bucks. Antetokounmpo finished the regular season with a then career-high 29.9 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 5.8 assists to become the first player in NBA history to average 25 points or more, 10-plus rebounds, and five assists or more in four separate seasons. On April 20, during Game 2 of the first round of the playoffs, Antetokounmpo logged 33 points, 18 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 blocks in
21736-533: The youngest player in franchise history to start in an All-Star Game. He also became the first Greek NBA All-Star. In the game, he led the East with 30 points in a 192–182 loss to the West. On April 3, 2017, he was named Eastern Conference Player of the Month for games played in March. The award was the first of Antetokounmpo's career and the first for a Buck since Michael Redd won the award in January 2004. Antetokounmpo helped
21888-431: The youth teams of Filathlitikos in Athens. In 2011, he began playing for the club's senior team before entering the 2013 NBA draft , where he was selected 15th overall by the Bucks. In 2016–17 , he led the Bucks in all five major statistical categories and became the first player in NBA history to finish a regular season in the top 20 in all five statistics: total points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. He received
22040-760: Was approved by the owners of the NBA and its Board of Governors one month later on May 16. The team is managed by Jon Horst , the team's former director of basketball operations, who took over for John Hammond . The Bucks have won two league championships ( 1971 , 2021 ), three conference titles (Western: 1971 , 1974 , Eastern: 2021 ), and 19 division titles (1971–1974, 1976, 1980–1986, 2001, 2019–2024). They have featured such notable players as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Oscar Robertson , Bob Dandridge , Sidney Moncrief , Bob Lanier , Terry Cummings , Glenn Robinson , Ray Allen , Michael Redd , Giannis Antetokounmpo , Khris Middleton , Jrue Holiday , and Damian Lillard among others. Abdul-Jabbar and Antetokounmpo have been named
22192-468: Was broken for the Bucks' new arena. On September 19, 2016, the Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo agreed to a 4-year, $ 100 million contract extension. In addition, the team would add new young improvements to the roster in drafting Thon Maker and Malcolm Brogdon , and made trades to bring in Tony Snell and Michael Beasley . When the 2016–17 season began, the Bucks were without Khris Middleton, who suffered
22344-528: Was during that time that the phrase "Fear the Deer" was coined, most likely by ESPN commentator John Anderson . It was quickly adopted on message boards and within Andrew Bogut's Squad 6. The slogan rang well with Bucks fans, who started bringing signs with the phrase to games. The slogan became the team's battle cry in the NBA playoffs. The Bucks finished the regular season with a record of 46–36. The Bucks clinched
22496-632: Was ejected after two unsportsmanlike fouls. He averaged 29.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.8 blocks per game in 6 games played, while shooting 56.6% from the field. Antetokounmpo finished the tournament as the leading scorer and was selected to the All-Tournament Team . At the 2024 Summer Olympics , he carried the Greek flag at the Opening Ceremonies . He subsequently represented Greece in group stage against Canada , Spain and Australia , eventually finishing third with
22648-496: Was held to name the new team, with over 40,000 fans participating. While the most-voted fan entry was the Robins , named for Wisconsin's state bird, the contest judges went with the second-most popular choice, the Bucks , which was a reference to Wisconsin's official wild animal, the white-tailed deer . One fan, R. D. Trebilcox, was awarded a new car for his part in reasoning why the Bucks was
22800-551: Was honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team . The film Rise , based on the life of Antetokounmpo and his family, was released in 2022. For his sporting achievements in his discipline, on July 10, 2024, the Greek Olympic Committee designated him as the flag bearer for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games , along with the Greek race walker Antigoni Drisbioti . As
22952-463: Was not selected as an all-star, the coaches let him play in the game as a treat for the fans, since he was in attendance at the game. However, he did not get officially counted as an all-star selection, since only players that play in Greece's first division are even eligible to actually be voted to play in the game, and Antetokounmpo was playing in Greece's second division at the time. On April 28, 2013, Antetokounmpo officially made himself eligible for
23104-509: Was to expire in June. In April, the Bucks hired John Hammond, formerly vice-president of basketball operations for the Pistons, as their new general manager, giving the Milwaukee team a fresh director recently associated with success. Also in April, the Bucks announced that Larry Krystkowiak , the third and final head coach hired by Larry Harris, had been relieved of his duties. Scott Skiles , formerly of
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