‘Building the Milwaukee Bucks’ Details the Team’s Start and First Championship

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson playing for the Milwaukee Bucks

A group of investors representing a small market location were awarded a National Basketball Association franchise in 1968. Three years later, the Milwaukee Bucks won their first NBA Championship behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) and Oscar Robertson.

The amazing backstory of its origins is detailed in Building the Milwaukee Bucks by Jordan Treske. Published by McFarland, the book explains the nuts and bolts to put a team together from the ground up, creating a fan base, and the excitement of it all.

Eddie Doucette, the original play-by-play radio voice of the Bucks, for 16 years, was there at the beginning too. “Jordan did a thorough job of capturing about every detail … not much that I could add. I congratulate him on his work,” he said.

A book signing with Treske will be held at the Boswell Book Company, located at 2559 N. Downer Ave. in Milwaukee, starting at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 5. The Shepherd Express chatted with Treske.

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'Building the Milwaukee Bucks: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson and the Rapid Rise of an NBA Franchise, 1968-1975' by Jordan Treske

'Building the Milwaukee Bucks: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson and the Rapid Rise of an NBA Franchise, 1968-1975' by Jordan Treske

Why did you write this book?

The impetus all began with the 2021 NBA Championship, and the way they won it was such an accomplishment. Frankly, I never saw it coming in my lifetime and 50 years after the first title made me want to revisit the franchise’s origins in greater detail.

Who were you able to get to contribute?

The book is rooted in reading and researching Milwaukee Journal and Milwaukee Sentinel articles, along with player biographies, NBA history books and Milwaukee-centric books, all from the time period it covers. While I didn’t get to talk to a player from that championship team or era, being able to dive into a literal treasure trove of books, articles and columns helped paint the picture of how the Bucks were captured in real time.

How long have you been a Bucks fan, and why did you feel you need to tell the story?

Since childhood … going to my first game during the third grade, the Ray Allen-Glenn Robinson-Sam Cassell years. I started really following them during the 2012-2013 season, in rediscovering my love of basketball. I started blogging and podcasting a couple of years later. Our podcast, Win In 6, with co-host Adam McGee, has crossed the yen-year mark and we love digging into their history.

That helped me become more familiar with the people that this book covers and lit the fuse for going back into the team’s history in the run-up to the 2021 title.

The Bucks got the franchise in 1968, and three years later, an NBA Championship. How and why did it happen so fast?

Good fortune and getting good players certainly helped, that’s for sure. A lot of that can be owed to landing Karee Abdul-Jabbar in the draft and fending off the rival American Basketball Association. The table was set in the expansion season, deciding on Larry Costello to be their head coach was the best choice for a team finding its identity. They made shrewd picks in the college draft (Greg Smith and Bob Dandridge), and the expansion draft (Jon McGlocklin, Wayne Embry and Guy Rodgers).

Having superstars makes the world go round in the NBA, but the Bucks hit on a number of small moves that made them the team to fear, especially when they got Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson together.

What has your journey been like over these past years?

Writing and podcasting about the Bucks over the past decade has been fun, albeit a time-consuming hobby. I’ve had a day job too, and balancing those two things, on top of my personal life, hasn’t always been easy. In so many ways, telling this story and pushing myself to write this book made it all worth pursuing. Do it the only way I know how … you never know the response. I hope people come away learning something from these years and understanding how much went into the creation of this book.

Why did they dismantle the 1971 team, when they were supposed to be a dynasty?

For as many good decisions they made with the roster on their way to the 1971 championship, there were a number of reasons why they couldn’t follow up, despite coming close in 1974. They didn’t quite have the same foresight on personnel decisions and the financial struggles of Wesley Pavalon (co-owner) were largely seen as why. 

The Julius “Dr. J” Erving saga is one of the biggest “what if’s” in franchise history. Three seasons of 60 wins doesn’t lead to high draft picks, and so few avenues to replenish the team’s youth around Kareem, Oscar and Bob Dandridge. Oscar retired, and Kareem left for Los Angeles. The fact that the Bucks couldn’t get over the hump is as essential to the story as the efforts to make sure the Bucks remained in Milwaukee, and not go the way of the Braves.

Buy Building the Milwaukee Bucks on Amazon here.

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