Bucks’ Humble Nature Contributes to Winning Culture

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Photo Credit: Keith Allison

When it comes to building a winning culture, there are so many factors that come into play to make it happen. It all starts at the top, from the front office down to the final roster spot. Even the G-League, which has become an important piece within an NBA organization for player development. Speaking of which, along with the Milwaukee Bucks having the best record in the NBA at 19-3, their G-League affiliate, Wisconsin Herd, has an Eastern Conference-leading record of 9-1 thus far to start their season.

It takes a lot of talent to build a winning team, but it goes even deeper than that. A team can have great players and still not end up being one of the best teams when you put them all together on the same court. A team needs to have a star to lean on who can carry you most nights. That player also needs to be the ultimate leader that other players can buy into and feed off his energy.

Milwaukee’s star and leader is reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is set to turn just 25 years old this week Friday. Forget that he just dropped 50 points with zero turnovers in a thrilling win over the Utah Jazz last week. Forget that he was named Eastern Conference player of the month for November. The Greek Freak’s humble and unselfish nature has rubbed off on his teammates as the Bucks put together a 15-1 record in November. The current 13-game winning streak that also includes back-to-back 40-plus point victories over the Charlotte Hornets and New York Knicks, respectively.

It’s important to note what Giannis is doing in today’s NBA. Not just how dominant he still is in this three-point shooting era. It is his work ethic, loyalty and simple love for the game. Since day one when Milwaukee drafted him, Giannis has worked tirelessly to get where he is at today. Understanding his upbringing in Greece and his path to get to the NBA is astonishing. He hasn’t forgotten his roots while he's fought to take care of his family.

Bucks fans—and Wisconsin sports fans in general, for that matter—are blessed to have an MVP in each respective professional sports franchise. While Christian Yelich has been electric in the Brewers back-to-back playoff runs, and Aaron Rodgers is arguably the greatest quarterback talent to ever play the position in NFL history, it’s Giannis who has won over the heart of Milwaukee and Wisconsin throughout the past several years as the Bucks have become one of the best teams in the league.

Let’s not forget that Milwaukee nearly lost the Bucks a few years ago. Herb Kohl found a way to keep them here by finding the right people to buy the team and was instrumental in helping get the Fiserv Forum built, even to the dismay of some tax payers. The young general manager Jon Horst hired the right coach in Mike Budenholzer, who was brought up in a San Antonio Spurs system, under Greg Popovich, that epitomizes what a winning culture is all about. If it weren’t for Giannis’ growth as a player and a person, who knows if all those other pieces would have fallen into place the way they did.

Giannis has been a godsend, there’s no denying that. But what the Bucks have put around him to help him build this winning culture has made a big difference. Players have come and gone, and the organization has done a great job of recognizing who fits into what they are trying to accomplish. While most franchises are trying to develop the next “super team” with multiple All-Stars, the Bucks have taken a different approach.

Before Giannis, the new arena, and Coach Budenholzer, it’s no secret that Milwaukee wasn’t a desired destination. That has changed dramatically. You can go back to 2015 when the Deer inked one of the league’s top free agents in Greg Monroe, who specifically chose Milwaukee over the New York and Los Angeles markets. It may not seem like a big deal now, because Moose isn’t the player he used to be, but that was a crucial moment in franchise history.

The Monroe signing turned into the Bucks getting Eric Bledsoe, who has rejuvenated his career and bought into the winning culture before signing a lucrative extension. Although coming over in a trade, Khris Middleton launched his career as a respectable number two option and developed a relationship with Giannis that speaks for itself as Middleton became an All-Star. The Bucks then struck gold with Malcolm Brogdon in the draft and despite his departure this past offseason, he was a crucial piece to the 60-win team last season. Brook Lopez signed a veteran one-year deal before last season and turned out to be one of the most underrated moves that summer. His contributions as a knockdown three-point shooter and, more importantly, as a big man presence could arguably make him the best center the Bucks have had this century.

Looking at the other role players they’ve brought in like Wes Matthews, Kyle Korver, Robin Lopez, and Pat Connaughton most recently, along with draft picks D.J. Wilson, Sterling Brown and Donte DiVincenzo, there is an unselfish identity to this team where everyone understands their role. Not to mention Ersan Ilyasova, who is arguably the most unselfish guy on the team in his third stint with the franchise.

The important thing to realize when you watch this team on a nightly basis is that there are no egos or dominating personalities. Yes, they have Giannis, but his humbleness rubs off on the rest of the guys. The way they lean on and support each other really makes them a special group. That, along with the job that coach Budenholzer and his staff have done, truly makes them the ultimate team. At the end of the day, it’s the kind of team you want to see fighting for a championship, and come June, hopefully we see these guys holding up the Larry O’Brien trophy together.