With the Bucks back in the NBA Finals, some are wondering: Has Milwaukee ever won an NBA championship?
When the Milwaukee Bucks drafted Giannis Antetokounmpo, no one knew we’d be where we are now. For Giannis, he’s the best player in the game and an all-time great who still has room to grow into an even better player.
Giannis growing into the iconic player he’s become put pressure on Milwaukee to make sure they don’t become another small market franchise to let its superstar leave to win somewhere else.
Luckily that didn’t happen. Instead we live in a reality where the Bucks are realizing their destiny with Giannis and reached the NBA Finals for the third time in franchise history in 2021.
But with the Bucks in the NBA Finals, a place they haven’t been in decades, many are wondering if a victory will be the first time the Bucks have hoisted a championship trophy.
Has Milwaukee ever won an NBA championship?
While the Bucks have been to the NBA Finals three times, it’s the length of time between appearances that makes this most recent trip so meaningful. The last time Milwaukee was in the NBA Finals was all the way back in 1974, and that was a series the team lost to the Boston Celtics.
It’s been since 1971 that the Bucks have won an NBA championship, and it’s the only one the franchise has ever claimed. Much like the destiny that fans hope is fulfilled with Giannis, the last Bucks title also featured an all-time great as a driving force.
In fact, it was two all-time greats. Alongside Oscar Robertson was Kareem Abdul-Jabar leading the Bucks to a title back in 1971.
So yes, the Bucks have won an NBA championship. But they’re 1-1 in NBA Finals appearances and it’s been 40 years since they brought it home to Milwaukee