- Here’s a list of the best Milwaukee Bucks picks in franchise history.
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar leads the list of players Milwaukee selected through the draft.
- Other Bucks players included in the list are Giannis Antetokounmpo and Sidney Moncrief.
The Milwaukee Bucks are the sixth-winningest NBA franchise in history with two titles, tied with the New York Knicks and the Houston Rockets. They lifted the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy in 1971 and 2021 because of the players they selected in the draft that boosted their NBA championship odds.
Players like Michael Redd, Andrew Bogut, Glen Robinson, Brandon Jennings, Malcolm Brogdon, and Bob Dandridge have significantly contributed to the franchise’s success. However, three superstars have emerged, leading the team to consistent contention in the league and the promised land. Find out the three best Milwaukee Bucks draft picks below.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
First on the list is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was drafted as the number one overall pick in 1969. The 7-foot-2 center out of UCLA was hailed as one of the greatest Milwaukee Bucks players in history and one of the greatest basketball players of all time. In his first year in the league, Abdul-Jabbar averaged a double-double of 28.8 points and 14.5 rebounds to win the Rookie of the Year award in 1970.
Happy Birthday @KAJ33!!
🎉🐐🎂🎉 pic.twitter.com/gHpgJkOV70
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 16, 2020
Before “The Big A” demanded a trade to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1975 because of his cultural needs, he won the Bucks a title in 1971 and bagged the Finals MVP. Abdul-Jabbar also won three league MVPs for Milwaukee in 1971, 1972, and 1974, thus representing them in six NBA All-Stars Games. The master of the hook shot finished his Milwaukee career with 30.4 points, 15.3 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in 467 games.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
When the Bucks drafted Giannis Antetokounmpo as their 15th overall pick in 2013, fans and pundits were skeptical about his potential, but the organization still bet on him, and it paid them a tremendous amount of dividends. The 7-foot forward out of Greece became the franchise’s cornerstone and worked his way to superstardom. Antetokounmpo’s breakout season happened in 2017 when he won the Most Improved Player award and played his first NBA All-Star Game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo. NBA Champion. Finals MVP. pic.twitter.com/BFyhBMA0qG
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) July 21, 2021
From then on, he has improved every season and piled up the accolades, winning back-to-back league MVP awards in 2019 and 2020, bagging the Defensive Player of the Year in 2020, and being selected as an NBA All-Star starter for six straight seasons. The “Greek Freak’s” biggest achievement for Milwaukee was the 2021 NBA title, where he spearheaded the team’s campaign and, in the process, secured the NBA Finals honor.
Sidney Moncrief
Completing the list of the three best Milwaukee Bucks draft picks is Sidney Moncrief, who was drafted as the number five pick in 1979. After the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar era, Moncrief became the star player in Milwaukee, spearheading the team’s campaign in the 1980s. Like Antetokounmpo, the 6-foot-3 shooting guard out of Arkansas worked his way to stardom and made a breakout season in 1982.
Sidney Moncrief led the Bucks in points, rebounds and assists while earning All-NBA and All-Defensive team honors for the first time in 1981-82!!
Top 50 Bucks Player Seasons: https://t.co/j21kmVwivG pic.twitter.com/CnV0rwyuu9
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) June 21, 2018
Moncrief appeared in his first NBA All-Star Game in 1982 and was included in the All-NBA 2nd Team. Since that coming out party, “Sid the Squid” won back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards in 1983 and 1984, named to the All-NBA 1st Team in 1983, and four more NBA All-Star Games from 1983 to 1986. In 10 seasons with Milwaukee, Moncrief racked up an average of 16.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists.
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