#7
The 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks
Regular Season: 66-16 (80.5)
Playoffs: 12-2 (85.7)
Total: 78-18 (81.3)
Award Winners;
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: League MVP, Finals MVP, 1st Team All-NBA, 2ndTeam All-Defense, All Star
Oscar Robertson: 2nd Team All-NBA, All Star
The Milwaukee Bucks were an expansion team that came into the league in 1968 and got very lucky very fast. Not surprisingly for a team in its debut season, the Bucks fared poorly, winning 27 games and winding up with the number one draft pick in 1969. There was clearly only one choice to make that year, and it was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, then known as Lew Alcindor.
For you youngbloods who don’t know, Kareem was an absolute monster in both high school and college. His high school team, Power Memorial in New York City, won back to back national championships in 1963 and ‘64. He won three straight NCAA championships with UCLA in 1967, ‘68 and ‘69. He likely would’ve won four if he’d been allowed to play on the varsity team while he was a freshman, but it was against NCAA regulations at the time. He was so good as a freshman that in scrimmages, the freshmen team regularly beat the varsity squad. The NCAA even BANNED DUNKING because it made things too easy for him! This only helped him, as it led to him perfecting his unstoppable hook shot known as the skyhook. In his three years on the varsity team, UCLA lost two games. Two. Out of ninety. Anyway, he was good.
Here’s where Milwaukee’s luck really comes in: before David Stern introduced the draft lottery in 1985, the holder of the number one pick was literally decided by a coin toss between the worst team in the East and worst team in the West. The Bucks had been at the bottom of the Eastern Division in ‘68-69, with the Phoenix Suns being the worst in the West. The Bucks won the toss and grabbed Kareem without hesitation. The Suns got another center, the 6’10 Neal Walk. Walk actually had some pretty good seasons in Phoenix, but was out of the league by 1977. Milwaukee had more good luck in that draft, stealing future All Star Bob Dandridge at 45th overall.
The ‘69-70 season was a dramatic turnaround for the Bucks, who improved from 27 wins to 56. Even as a rookie, Kareem was one of the best players in the NBA, and the young Milwaukee team made it as far as the division finals. They lost in five games to a great New York Knicks team led by Walt Frazier and Willis Reed, but the Bucks were clearly on their way.
What put them over the top in 1970-71 was the arrival of veteran superstar point guard Oscar Robertson, who’d played his whole career with the Cincinnati Royals (now Sacramento Kings). The Royals hadn’t made the playoffs since 1967 and hadn’t made the Finals since 1951, when they were still in Rochester. It’s well known that Robertson didn’t get along well with his coach in Cincinnati, Celtics legend Bob Cousy. Whatever the reason for the trade, Oscar was happy to have a change of scene.
In 1970-71, it was 23 year old Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who unsurprisingly put up the biggest numbers, averaging 31.7 points and 16 rebounds on 57.7% shooting. Did I tell you he was good? 32 year old Oscar Robertson brought 19.4 points, 8.2 assists and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 49.6% from the field and 85% at the line. 23 year old small forward Bob Dandridge put up 18.4 points and 8 rebounds on 50.9% shooting. 27 year old two guard Jon McGlocklin chipped in 15.8 points while shooting 53.5%. With all the ingredients together, the Bucks went 66-16 in the regular season and posted a 20 game winning streak during February and March, despite at one point having to play five games in six days! Imagine playing that much and still kicking everyone’s ass.
In 1970-71, the Bucks were shifted into the Western Conference and faced the 41-41 San Francisco Warriors in the first round, who were led by Nate Thurmond and Jerry Lucas. The Warriors were clearly not up to the challenge, and the Bucks won the first three games by between 11 and 14 points. San Francisco did pull out a 106-104 win in game four before having the door slammed in their faces in game five by a score of 136-86. Yes, that’s 50 points. Seven Bucks scored in double figures in that one, with Jon McGlocklin leading the way with 28. Kareem had 23 points and 17 rebounds.
Their next challenge was the 48-34 Los Angeles Lakers, featuring Wilt Chamberlain and Jerry West. The result was the same, with the Bucks winning in five games. Milwaukee crushed LA in four out of five by a margin of 18 to 23 points. LA did pull out an impressive 118-107 win at home in game three, with Wilt scoring 24 points and grabbing 24 rebounds. In Milwaukee’s 23 point win in game four, Kareem put up 31 points, 20 rebounds and 5 assists while shooting 14 for 20.
In the NBA Finals, Milwaukee met the 42 win Baltimore Bullets, led by a young Wes Unseld, who’d managed to knock off the defending champion New York Knicks in the Eastern Finals. This series was the least challenging of all for the Bucks, and they swept the Bullets with the closest game being a 107-99 win at home in game three. Game two was the biggest blowout, with the Bucks winning 102-83 in Baltimore. Kareem led the way as usual, with 27 points and 24 rebounds and Oscar Robertson had 22 points, 10 assists and 6 rebounds. Kareem was named Finals MVP, averaging 25 points, 17.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists.
The Bucks won over sixty games again in 1972 and ‘73 but lost in the second and first rounds respectively. In 1974 they had the league’s best record with 59 wins, but lost to John Havlicek, Dave Cowens and the Celtics in seven games in the Finals. Oscar Robertson retired after that season and the Bucks missed the playoffs in ‘75 for the first time since their debut season. That Summer, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was traded to the Lakers, where he went on to win five more championships in the ‘80s. Kareem had grown up in Manhattan and went to school in LA, and requested the trade as Milwaukee just wasn’t his kind of town. Even though he played most of his career and won most of his championships with the Lakers, I associate Kareem with the Bucks just as much. I think he looked really cool with the Afro and mutton chops in those old red white and green uniforms.
The Bucks had good teams throughout the ‘80s with guys like Sidney Moncrief and Marques Johnson, but still haven’t made the Finals since ‘74. Personally, as a Celtics fan, I’m terrified thinking about how good those guys could be in a few years when Giannis Antetokounmpo hits his prime. This could be the year, now that Kawhi Leonard’s off to LA.
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