Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum
Fiserv Forum was designed to reflect the heritage, history and personality of Milwaukee. The 714,000 square foot arena provides a premier fan experience for sporting events, concerts, family shows and more. Featuring an active plaza space designed for year-round community use outside and sweeping views both into the bowl and out to the city throughout the interior, Fiserv Forum was built to redefine world class fan experience and highlight the communal nature of attending live entertainment.s The state of the art venue is home to both the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks and the Marquette Golden Eagles men's college basketball team.
Milwaukee Bucks 2022-2023 Team Info
Conference: Eastern
Division: Central
Year Founded: 1968
Championships: 1971, 2021
Team Colors: Good Land Green, Cream City Cream, Great Lakes Blue, Black, White
Mascot: Bango
Milwaukee Bucks History
On Jan. 22, 1968 the National Basketball Association awarded a Milwaukee-based franchise to Milwaukee Professional Sports and Services, Inc., a group of investors headed by Wesley D. Pavalon and Marvin L. Fishman. Pavalon and Fishman were named president and executive vice president, respectively, when the franchise was incorporated on Feb. 5, 1968.
On the basketball side of the operation, the team went through both the college and expansion draft under the watchful eye of the team's first head coach, Larry Costello.
The Bucks struggled through their first season, but immediately turned that around following the selection of Lew Alcindor at No. 1 overall in the 1969 NBA Draft. In his second season, Alcindor won the NBA MVP and led the Bucks as they steamrolled through the playoffs. They went 12-2, including a 4-0 sweep of the Baltimore Bullets in the NBA Finals, giving the Bucks a championship in just their third year of existence.
A Janesville, Wis., businessman, Jim Fitzgerald served as a member of the Board of Directors of Milwaukee Professional Sports and Services, Inc., beginning in 1973. He assumed his position as chairman of the board and president of the Bucks in November of 1976 and held that position until the sale of the franchise to Herb Kohl in the spring of 1985. Kohl's purchase ensured that the team would remain in Milwaukee, and he would go on to lead the team as president for 29 seasons.
The Bucks were a powerhouse team for the first half of the 1970s, featuring players such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson. After the departure of Abdul-Jabbar to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1975, the team was in a transition period until ]head coach Don Nelson came aboard in November 1976. The Bucks utilized their three first-round draft picks in 1977 to bolster the squad, including the addition of Marques Johnson.
The 1980s saw much success for the Bucks team with additions Rookie Sidney Moncrief in 1979 and Veteran Bob Lanier in 1980. Head coach Don Nelson won NBA Coach of the Year twice during his 11-year tenure with the Bucks while leading the team to seven division titles.
The Bucks struggled in the standings throughout the 1990s and 2000s, peaking with a competitive playoff run in 2001. Despite the team's inconsistency, this Bucks era featured All-Star caliber players such as Vin Baker, Glenn Robinson, Ray Allen and in the mid-2000s, Michael Redd.
The 2010s brought the Bucks to its modern era and coined the start of the iconic "Fear the Deer" phrase after a playoff win over the Chicago Bulls in 2010. In the 2013 NBA Draft, the Bucks selected Giannis Antetokounmpo as the 15th overall pick and acquired Khris Middleton from the Detroit Pistons.
April 16, 2014 marked the beginning of a new era for the NBA franchise as ownership transferred from Senator Kohl to a new group headed by entrepreneurs Marc Lasry and Wes Edens. Shortly thereafter, Jamie Dinan and Mike Fascitelli joined as majority owners, and an impressive assemblage of Milwaukee community leaders also took an ownership state to infuse the team and city with a new vitality driven by the promise of a next-generation team.
In the 2020-21 season, led by their superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks capped off a historic year by defeating the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals in 6 games to become NBA Champions for the second time in franchise history.
Over the history of the franchise, the Bucks have won two league championships and three conference titles (Western: 1971, 1974, Eastern: 2021) and are the only team to have won a championship in both the Eastern (2021) and Western (1971) conference.
