CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES THE SCULPTURAL QUADRACCI PAVILION IS A FAMILIAR SIGHT IN TODAY’S MILWAUKEE 8 CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES
JUNIOR BRIDGEMAN Milwaukee Wisconsin is known as The City of Festivals Throughout the summer months its citizens and many out-of-town visitors gather together outdoors to celebrate the city’s rich cultural heritage and history through music food and art Nearly every weekend there’s something to celebrate in Milwaukee When the festival season ends and the chill of winter begins to creep in Wisconsinites still enjoy the outdoors However they also head inside to places such as the Bradley Center where they loyally cheer on the city’s National Basketball Association NBA franchise the Milwaukee Bucks The Bucks originated in Milwaukee as an expansion team in 1968 Led by guards Jon McGlocklin and Guy Rodgers the club made its debut at the Milwaukee Arena on October 16 1968 Although the Bucks lost a close contest 9
SWINGMAN OSCAR ROBERTSON LIVED UP TO HIS NUMBER 1 WITH ALL AROUND SKILLS to the Chicago Bulls that night they played in front of an excited crowd of 8,467 people Those fans continued to support the Bucks despite Milwaukee’s last-place finish in the Eastern Division The Bucks were awarded the top pick in the 1969 NBA Draft by virtue of a coin toss and Milwaukee used that chance to select the best college player in the country 7-foot 2 center Lew Alcindor Alcindor’s hanging jump shot which became known as the Sky Hook in Milwaukee had helped the University of California Los Angeles UCLA win three college national championships The Bucks hoped the towering center could bring them the same kind of success With their new star leading the way the Bucks turned into a winner They ended their second season with a 56 26 record and a second-place finish in the division Alcindor and fellow rookie Bob Dandridge who played both forward and guard led the Bucks to the division finals where they were knocked out by the New York Knicks But with Alcindor the Bucks future remained bright The big man is making us believe McGlocklin said We’re nobody’s doormat anymore 10
COURTSIDE STORIES Birds or Bucks When the owners of the NBA’s new Milwaukee franchise asked the people of Wisconsin to vote on a team name in 1968 they weren’t surprised that their future fans had dozens of ideas from skunks and beavers to stallions and stags But they were shocked when the almost 15,000 votes were tallied and the number-one choice turned out to be the Robins Instead of naming their team after a sweet and sunny songbird owners Marvin Fishman and Wesley Pavalon decided to go with the second place option Bucks after the mighty male white-tailed deer that are common in the woods of Wisconsin R D Trebilcox a fan from Whitefish Bay Wisconsin was 1 of almost 50 people who had suggested the name he said it was fitting because bucks are spirited good jumpers fast and agile Trebilcox won a new car an AMC Javelin for his suggestion The name led to the creation of the original logo a cartoonish buck wearing a green sweater with the letter B on it which served as the team’s official representation until 1993 11 Birds or Bucks
