The Milwaukee Bucks have been in existence for 55 years, starting in 1968-69, and still going strong today. The Bucks have been a successful franchise with 34 playoff appearances to only 21 missed playoffs in their five and a half decades in the NBA. They are also fortunate enough to have won two NBA championships, one in 1971 and exactly 50 years late in 2021. Those two championship teams and all of the players that have worn the iconic Milwaukee threads in between have made the Bucks one of the best and most recognizable franchises in basketball.
Just as you have seen us do with teams such as the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls, today, the focus will be on the Milwaukee Bucks and their greatest players in franchise history. The Bucks have had some of the greatest and most successful players in NBA history take the court as their representatives at one point or another. This breakdown will solidify who the 30 greatest players are in their franchise’s history.
This is the Milwaukee Bucks’ all-time GOAT pyramid.
Tier 5
Paul Pressey, Jack Sikma, Frank Brickowski, Brian Winters, Junior Bridgeman, Sam Cassell, Flynn Robinson, Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Jennings, Jon McGlocklin, Monta Ellis, Bobby Portis, Dale Ellis
Tier five on the Milwaukee Bucks GOAT pyramid is filled with supportive role players and ones who made a brief stop in Milwaukee in their careers. The first of these players is Paul Pressey, who played for the Bucks from 1983 thru 1990. Pressey would never be an All-Star, but he would average 11.2 PPG, 5.6 APG, and 1.5 SPG for them over the course of eight seasons. Pressey’s best season would come in 1985 when he played 80 games for the Bucks and averaged 16.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 6.8 APG, and 1.6 SPG.
Jack Sikma is mostly known for his days as a member of the Seattle SuperSonics where he won a championship in 1979. Sikma would join the Bucks at age 31 in 1986-87, and although his scoring would dip a bit from his days in Seattle, he was still an effective player on both ends of the court. In 1988, he led the NBA in free throw percentage while with the Bucks and averaged 13.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, and 1.0 SPG for them over the course of five seasons.
Frank Brickowski was a 13-year veteran of the NBA who made a brief stop in Milwaukee during the early 90s. Brickowski was never an All-Star in his career, but his best seasons definitely came in a Bucks uniform. In three and a half seasons with the team, he averaged 13.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 1.1 SPG. The best season of his career came with the Bucks in 1992-93, when he averaged 16.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 1.2 SPG in 64 starts.
Apart from his rookie season, Brian Winters spent most of his career as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks from 1976 thru 1983. Winters would be an All-Star for the first time in his first season as a member of the team averaging 18.2 PPG along with 1.6 SPG. In 1978, Winters would become an All-Star again with 19.9 PPG, 4.9 APG, and 1.6 SPG shooting 46.3% from the field. Winters ranks 10th in Bucks history in points as well as seventh in steals in only eight seasons of action with the team.
Junior Bridgeman began his NBA career with Milwaukee after they selected him eighth overall in the 1975 NBA Draft. He would spend 10 of his 12 NBA seasons with the team and averaged 13.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 2.5 APG in total for that 10 years of service. His best seasons as a member of the Bucks came in the late 70s and early 80s. Bridgeman peaked at 17.6 PPG in 1980 and 16.8 PPG in 1981.
Sam Cassell is one of the most underrated point guards in NBA history. Cassell played a big role in a championship for the Houston Rockets and for a Western Conference finalist in the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2004. After being traded to the Bucks during the 1998-99 season, he would spend the next four seasons in Milwaukee averaging 19.0 PPG, 7.2 APG, and 1.2 SPG. This was quite easily the offensive peak in Cassell’s career, and he probably should have been an All-Star at least once.
Flynn Robinson only played 146 games with the Bucks in the 1969 and 1970 seasons just as the organization was debuting in the NBA. In his first 65 games with the team, he averaged 20.3 PPG and 4.9 APG on 43.6% shooting. The following season, Robinson would make the only All-Star Game of his career with Milwaukee averaging 21.8 PPG and 5.5 APG on 47.7% shooting. His time with the Bucks may have been short, but Flynn Robinson is still recognized as a Bucks great.
Another player who had a short two-and-a-half-year run with the Bucks was journeyman Eric Bledsoe. In his 210 games with the Bucks from 2018 thru 2020, Bledsoe averaged 16.3 PPG, 5.3 APG, and 1.5 SPG. He served as the team’s starting point guard and shooting guard until the team made a move to bring in Jrue Holiday and retool their lineup. Bledsoe found himself leaving Milwaukee just one season before they became NBA champions in 2021.
The next member of tier five on the Bucks GOAT pyramid is Brandon Jennings, who was drafted by the Bucks 10th overall in 2009. With memorable performances and high energy, Jennings became a fan-favorite who still holds that distinction today. In his four-plus seasons with Milwaukee, he averaged 16.5 PPG, 5.6 APG, and 1.4 SPG. When the team was crowned NBA champions in 2021, it was Jennings who could be seen as the loudest and most excited during the parade, even though he wasn’t on the team anymore. Jennings is truly fond of Milwaukee, and the feeling is reciprocated by fans all over the city.
Jon McGlocklin was a member of the 1971 championship Bucks team that featured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson. McGlocklin played with the Royals and Rockets before joining the Bucks in their inaugural 1968-69 season. He would become the first All-Star in team history that season averaging 19.6 PPG and 4.3 RPG for a team that went 27-55. McGlocklin would remain with the Bucks until his retirement in 1976, averaging 12.6 PPG over the course of eight seasons.
Monta Ellis was one of the most exciting players in the NBA at his peak. Ellis was lightning-fast on the court and pick apart defenses in any way he deemed necessary, from slicing his way to the basket or pulling up from Curry-range way before Stephen was doing it. Ellis would spend just a year and a half in Milwaukee in 2012 and 2013. During that time, he averaged 18.9 PPG and 6.0 APG on 41.9% shooting from the field.
I do not think there is a more loved, respected, and cheered-for athlete in Milwaukee than the Bucks’ Bobby Portis. In his first season with the Bucks, Portis electrified the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, especially in the playoffs on their run to the 2021 NBA championship. As the trophy was being presented, a shower of “Bobby! “Bobby!” chants rained down through the arenas and blared across the television for all to hear. In his three seasons with the Bucks, he is averaging 13.3 PPG and 8.6 RPG.
The final member of tier five is none other than Dale Ellis who if you may recall, was interviewed by yours truly just weeks ago. Ellis was well past his All-Star days he had in Seattle but was still a nightmare for opponents in Milwaukee. In his two-and-a-half seasons with the team, he averaged 15.0 PPG on 41.3% shooting from three and 47.3% overall. Ellis wan an elite offensive weapon for his time, standing at 6’7’’ with the ability to knock down shots from anywhere on the court.
Tier 4
Vin Baker, Michael Redd, Andrew Bogut, Brook Lopez, Ricky Pierce, Bob Lanier
Tier four features some of the best and most well-known players in Bucks history who contributed heavily during their careers with Milwaukee. The first of these players is Vin Baker, who played with the Bucks from 1994 thru 1997. Baker would earn three All-Star nods in his four seasons with the Bucks to start his career with two seasons of over 21.0 PPG and 10.0 RPG in 1996 and 1997. Baker would struggle in his personal life after leaving the Bucks but has turned everything around in that aspect of his life.
Michael Redd is one of the most iconic Bucks in team history. Redd had a smooth-looking jump shot that was especially aesthetically pleasing due to his southpaw mechanics. Redd would spend 11 of his 12 professional seasons with Milwaukee and earn one All-Star appearance in 2003-04, averaging 21.7 PPG. Redd would have five more 20.0 PPG seasons in a row after that and peaked at over 25.0 PPG in both 2006 and 2007. He helped the Bucks make three playoff appearances in 11 seasons, never making it out of the first round.
Andrew Bogut was the first overall pick of the Milwaukee Bucks back in 2005. The Australian seven-footer would make a name for himself with Milwaukee as an interior defender and fan-favorite who averaged 12.7 PPG, 9.3 RPG, and 1.6 BPG over the course of seven seasons. Bogut would lead the NBA in blocks, with Milwaukee in 2011 averaging 2.6 BPG. He would have two other seasons averaging over 2.0 BPG and was a consistent double-digit scorer on offense as well.
Brook Lopez is one of the few current NBA players who are playing for the Bucks, with others sprinkled further down this list as well. Lopez has been as impactful as any other addition they have made to the team since 2019. Lopez made his Bucks debut in 2018 and, since then, has revamped his entire game to become one of the better bigs in the NBA right now. Lopez helped the Bucks capture an NBA championship in 2021 by averaging 13.0 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 1.5 BPG. In 2022-23, Lopez is averaging 15.4 PPG, the most he has averaged in a Bucks uniform, 6.7 RPG, and 2.5 BPG, helping lead them to the best record in the Eastern Conference.
Ricky Pierce is another one of the great Milwaukee Bucks in history that rarely gets his name mentioned with the rest. Pierce played 8 seasons with the Bucks in his career, seven of them coming from his NBA debut in 1983 thru 1990. Pierce was also one of the best bench players during his prime, with two Sixth Man of the Year awards to his name. He won in 1987, averaging 19.5 PPG in 42 games off the bench and 31 starts, as well as in 1990, when he averaged 23.0 PPG in 59 games off the bench.
The final member of Tier four is Bob Lanier, who, although at the end of his best days, is held in high regard by Bucks fans and historians. After spending the majority of his career in Detroit with the Pistons, Lanier became a member of the Bucks in 1980 and would stay through the 1984 season. Lanier would earn just one of his eight career All-Star appearances with the Bucks in 1982. In four-plus seasons, he averaged 13.5 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 1.0 SPG with Milwaukee.
Tier 3
Marques Johnson, Ray Allen, Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, Terry Cummings, Glenn Robinson
The third tier is when we begin to introduce the real superstars of this great franchise. Marques Johnson was exactly that, a superstar for the Bucks during the 70s and 80s. Even Michael Jordan had a poster of Johnson on his wall due to the incredible things he was doing on the court. Johnson would earn four All-Star appearances in seven seasons with the Bucks including three in a row from 1979 thru 1981. He would earn three All-NBA Team selections over that time as well, including a First Team nod in 1979. Johnson averaged 21.0 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 1.3 SPG in his career with the Bucks and made them one of the toughest teams to beat during the 1980s.
Many NBA fans, particularly of the younger variety, seem to forget how special Ray Allen was in his younger days with the Bucks and SuperSonics. Allen was always a great shooter and went down as one of the best in NBA history. He was athletic, had great handles, could create for himself and others, and could also lead a team. In his six-plus seasons with the Bucks, he earned three All-Star appearances and one All-NBA Team selection. He averaged 21.0 PPG in his three All-Star seasons and 19.6 PPG for the totality of his Bucks career.
The fact that Jrue Holiday is here with just three seasons in Milwaukee tells you all you need to know about the impact he has had on this team. Holiday joined the Bucks in 2021 and quickly integrated well with teammates Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. Holiday quickly showed why he was one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA and averaged over 17.0 PPG as well as 6.1 APG to go with it. He helped them capture the 2021 NBA championship, making big plays on both sides of the ball along the way. In 202-23, he captured an All-Star appearance for his contributions to the best team in the Eastern Conference.
Khris Middleton is one of the final members of the current-day Bucks to make their way onto this GOAT pyramid. Despite his struggles and injuries in 2022 and now in 2023, Middleton has been one of the most important Bucks in recent history. He has made three All-Star appearances since 2019 and is a consistent 20.0 PPG scorer. More importantly, when defenses zero in on Giannis at the end of close games, Middleton has been able to be the closer and step up on numerous occasions in the last three years. It goes without saying the Bucks are not 2021 NBA champions without Middleton in the lineup.
Terry Cummings is another Bucks legend who played with the Bucks for six seasons from 1985 thru 1989 and again in 1996. Cummings would make two All-Star teams with the Bucks in 1985 and 1989, as well as two All-NBA Teams in the same seasons. Cummings was a star with the Bucks averaging 19.4 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 1.3 SPG in his six seasons with them. He led them to the playoffs every year from 1985 thru 1989 and averaged 22.3 PPG over those playoff appearances to give them the best chance they had at success.
Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson is another Milwaukee Bucks legend who made a name for himself over the course of eight seasons with the team. Robinson was a standout from his rookie year which saw him average 21.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 1.4 SPG. Over the totality of those eight seasons, Robinson would average 21.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 1.2 SPG. Robinson would make two All-Star appearances in 2000 and 2001, averaging 21.4 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 1.0 SPG over the course of those two years.
Tier 2
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, Sidney Moncrief, Bob Dandridge
Almost every member of tier two has a case to be made to even be higher than they already are. No player in tier two has a better case than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to be next to Giannis in tier one. Kareem came into the NBA in 1970 and would dominate the game from the very start. He would win Rookie of the Year, three MVPs, an NBA championship, and a Finals MVP award before leaving the Bucks after the 1975 season to join the Lakers. Kareem would also add two scoring titles with over 30.0 PPG in four of his six seasons with the Bucks, along with elite defense.
Oscar Robertson joined the Bucks much later in his career but was the piece that put them over the top as an NBA champion. Robertson would make the final four seasons of his career magical with the Bucks, winning the championship in the very first season after he joined the team. Robertson would average 18.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 8.9 APG on the playoff run during that great title run and 14.0 PPG and 9.3 APG when they got back there in 1974 but lost to Boston.
Sidney Moncrief was the star of the show for the Bucks during the 1980s and went toe-to-toe with some of the greatest players ever to earn his respect. Moncrief would develop into a 20.0 PPG scorer who was playing elite defense on some of the game’s brightest stars at the same time. He would be honored with the first two Defensive Player of the Year awards in history for his efforts in the 1983 and 1984 seasons. From 1982 thru 1986, Moncrteif earned five All-Star selections, five All-NBA Team selections, and five All-Defensive Team selections averaging 19.8 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 4.4 APG, and 1.5 SPG.
The final member of tier two before we get to the greatest player in Bucks history is Bob Dandridge. He spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Bucks and was a vital member of their 1971 NBA championship team. He averaged 19.2 PPG and 9.6 RPG for the Bucks on that title run and would add another championship with the Bullets in 1978. Dandridge would earn three All-Star selections with the Bucks and ranks Top 10 in Bucks history in points, rebounds, and assists.
Tier 1
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Every single player we have named on this list is an all-time great in Bucks history. If I were to start a lineup with any of them, though, it would be Giannis Antetokounmpo without hesitation. Giannis came into the NBA as a skinny and underdeveloped kid from Greece. Soon, he would develop into the consensus best player in the world and, at times, look unstoppable on the court. Giannis would capture back-to-back MVP awards in 2019 and 2020 when he averaged 28.5 PPG, 13.0 RPG, 5.8 APG, 1.1 SPG, and 1.3 BPG over those two years. He was also awarded Defensive Player of the Year in 2020 as well as Most Improved Player in 2017.
In 2021 is when he would take the top spot from Kareem as far as Milwaukee Bucks go. This season, Giannis would lead the Bucks on a run to the NBA championship despite grueling odds against him. In the Eastern Conference Finals, Giannis suffered an injury that would cripple a normal man. Instead, Giannis would lead the Bucks to their first title in 50 years after falling down two games to none to the Suns. Giannis would earn Finals MVP honors averaging 35.2 PPG, 13.2 RPG, 5.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, and 1.8 BPG. This included a 50-point game to close the series. Antetokounmpo is also first in points and assists in Bucks history as well as second in rebounds and first in triple-doubles.
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