The Milwaukee Bucks have an amazing NBA history that is rarely talked about even among knowledgeable NBA fans. Most modern-day fans only know about the Bucks’s recent success and NBA Championship, but it goes beyond that.
This franchise produced the likes of Oscar Robertson, Ray Allen, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, just to name a few. And they’ve also got a previous NBA title as well.
Let’s get into the 10 best Milwaukee Bucks of all time.
10. Glenn Robinson, small forward/shooting guard
Glenn Robinson was a star even before he arrived in Milwaukee. In college, he was a two-time All-American, Big Ten Player of the Year, and National Player of the Year. Robinson became the Bucks’ first draft pick in 1994. During that time, he was a two-time NBA All-Star and made the NBA All-Rookie team. Robinson recorded some of the best statistical seasons in franchise history during his eight years with the Bucks.
9. Michael Redd, shooting guard
Michael Redd came into his own with the Bucks in 2004-05, one of the best in his career year. That season, he averaged almost 22 points and was named to the NBA All-Star team. He also helped lead the team, along with Ray Allen, to the playoffs. The following year, he averaged almost 27 points a game. Having spent 11 seasons in Milwaukee, he is 5th in points scored and all-time scoring average.
8. Bob Dandridge, small forward/shooting guard
Modern NBA fans may not remember Bob Dandridge but he was a huge part of the Bucks teams of the 1970s. Dandridge is a two-time NBA champion, four-time NBA All-Star, and was on the NBA All-Defensive team. In his career, he averaged 18.5 points per game over 839 regular season games and 20 points per game. He is also part of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
7. Khris Middleton, small forward
Khris Middleton is well on his way to being an NBA superstar. The three-time All-Star became an NBA champion in 2021 and was important in the Bucks championship run, averaging 20.4 points per game, a career-high 5.4 assists per game, and 6 rebounds per game. In the postseason, he stepped up his game. He scored 17, 27 32, and 38 points during the playoffs for the Bucks. His play helped the Bucks win a title.
6. Marques Johnson, small forward
Marques Johnson played for the Bucks in the late 1970s to the mid-80s. He was a five-time All-Star, NBA Comeback Player of the Year, and was part of the NBA’s All-Rookie team. Johnson helped lead Milwaukee to several division titles and they made it to the Eastern Conference Finals twice. Johnson played for UCLA and John Wooden and is part of the College Basketball Hall of Fame.
5. Sidney Moncrief, shooting guard
Sidney Moncrief was the best Bucks player during the 1980s. He was a five-time All-Star, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, and made the NBA All-Defensive Teams five times in his career. As you can tell, Moncrief was more of a defensive specialist than a scorer, but he wasn’t bad at that either. Moncrief ended his NBA career with nearly 12,000 points and over 3,500 rebounds, averaging almost five rebounds per game. He is part of both the College Basketball and Naismith Hall of Fame.
4. Ray Allen, shooting guard
Coming out of UConn, Ray Allen’s game translated to the NBA immediately. The All-American played a huge part in the Bucks organization in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Allen is a 10-time All-Star, NBA three-point champion, and part of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team. He ended his NBA career with over 24,000, over 5,200 rebounds, and 4300 assists. Allen is part of the Naismith Hall of Fame.
3. Oscar Robertson, point guard
The Big O was the first real star of the Bucks. Robertson was part of an NBA championship in 1971, an NBA MVP, 12-time NBA All-Star, NBA Rookie of the Year, six-time NBA assists leader, and part of the NBA’s 35th, 50th, and 75th Anniversary teams. Before there was Magic, Steph, or Stockton, there was the Big O. He set the standard for what point guards would look like in the future. Even though Robertson arrived in Milwaukee at the end of his illustrious career, he still was able to help carry his team to an NBA championship. Robertson is part of three basketball halls of fame.
2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, center
We know about the great Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s career with the Los Angeles Lakers, but young fans may not remember he got his start with the Bucks when he came out of UCLA. He was known as Lew Acinder, the dominant center from UCLA, until changing his name in 1971. He was just as dominant during his time with the Bucks. Abdul-Jabber won his first NBA Championship with Milwaukee, his first NBA MVP, and was All-Star MVP too. During his MVP year, he led the league in points scored and averaged nearly 32 points per game. In the 1971 Finals, he averaged 27 points per game and was Finals MVP. He is part of the College Basketball and Naismith Hall of Fame.
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo,power forward
Who would have known the next great Bucks superstar would come from Greece? Giannis Antetokounmpo not only led the Bucks to their first NBA championship in decades but he was named Finals MVP. The two-time NBA MVP is also an eight-time All-Star, NBA Defensive Player of the Year, won the NBA Most Improved Player Award in 2017 and was part of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team. Oh and did we mention, there was a movie made about him and his family in 2022 called “Rise.” The year the Bucks won the championship and he was named Finals MVP, Antetokounmpo averaged 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.
