The 1980s Milwaukee Bucks | The GREATEST team to never win a title

[@anthonyconrady3641]

I loved the Bucks in the 80’s! Sidney Moncrief was a beast!

[@conanmccurry3392]

Sid the Squid!

[@shellybastion9974]

@@conanmccurry3392 Sir Sid..

[@michaelb6327]

Celtics fan here. The Bucks were beasts, and I remember the 1983 sweep well. Getting to the NBA finals through the Bucks and Sixers always gave me nightmares. It aways made me mad because the Western conference was pathetic at that time and the Lakers always had an easy path to the finals.

[@furfamilysue]

The East was so physical and the Bucks, Celtics and 76ers, Pistons beat each other up. Lakers were great but West Coast basketball did not match the physicality of the EAST.

[@mr.theorymaster4939]

Sidney Moncrief was my favorite player. I’m from San Antonio and was lucky enough to witness one of the greatest NBA games in history. March of 1982 and the Bucks & Spurs played a triple OT game at the old Hemisfair arena. I remember Brian Winters getting hot and not missing anything. The Iceman & Mike Mitchell had unbelievable games and the Spurs outlasted the Bucks. I was a Spurs fan (and still am), but I loved those Sidney-led Bucks teams back then…..Brian Winters & Junior Bridgeman have never gotten enough recognition for their greatness.

[@kennethspears7001]

I'm 57, and I remember every bit of those wonderful memories ✨️ Thank you for the video

[@Zamppa86]

Sidney Moncrief has always been one of my all time favourite players overall. The story goes that he was so good in defense that gave a spark to create the DPOY award. To this day Moncrief is the only guard to have won the award multiple times!

[@AaronStark1993]

Moncrief along with Dennis Johnson and Joe Dumars are my top 3 all-time favorite players. Perimeter defense was my best attribute when I played back in the day so those were the 3 guys I most modeled my game after.

[@dunkmaster50inchplusvert]

They drafted Bobby Austin in the 1982 draft … that had Micheal Jordan type of talent … they should had released Brian Winters .. Austin had a 48 inch vertical leap and was fast , Quick and great shooter .. he should have became a star ! Better athlete than Moncrief/ Paul Pressey …

[@mikjord]

​@@AaronStark1993Michael Cooper was another fantastic perimeter defender.

[@darrellappling9276]

You right

[@AaronStark1993]

@@mikjord Alvin Robertson as well. The 80's was definitely the golden age of perimeter defense in the NBA.

[@DrJohnnyJ]

Marques Johnson was first team all-NBA and could really carry a team. Should be in the HOF.

[@bucksdiaryfan]

I agree. He had a five year period of elite play, just prior to returning to LA

[@lawrencebrodsky8894]

No doubt. Don't forget his NCAA championship.

[@bryanburnap4537]

The most underrated aspect of the 80's that has been forgotten in time was the Bucks move from the Western Conference to the Eastern Conference prior to the 80/81 season. If the Bucks had stayed in the West they would have given the Lakers more of a year to year challenge. Instead of the random Spurs Nuggets Suns in the Conference Final. Not saying Milwaukee would have ever overcome the Lakers in the 80's. But the Bucks would have been a problem for the Lakers.

[@melvynsngltn27]

From 1981-1987 they were elite and pretty good

[@jonhohensee3258]

Elite AND pretty good? Goodness!

[@Wallyworld30]

First year I became a Bucks/NBA Fan was the '86-'87 Season. I was 10 years old and remember playing the Boston Celtics in the Playoffs That series was what made me a lifelong Bucks fan. It went all 7 games including 3 Overtimes! In the end Bird, McHale and Parrish was just a hair too much to beat. I recall my father calling the Milwaukee Sentinal Newspaper and telling them the morning headline needs to be "Bird Plucks Bucks!". The newspaper guy laughed and said he loved it but they already have a headline picked out. The next morning the paper said "Bucks Bow to Bird". LAME AF!

[@marklentz1095]

Grew up on those Bucks teams. Marques Johnson poster on my wall. And let's pour one out for that GLORIOUS MECCA court.

[@JosePerez-vz1qq]

@@marklentz1095 the Mecca was great on TV. I imagine that it was much better in person

[@ryanstrnad8442]

THESE are the Bucks teams I remember. Those darn Sixers & Celtics teams had me in tears. '82, Buckner & Bridgeman were injured for the playoffs; '83 Dave Cowens was out for the season on the last game (it sucked the Sixers picked up Moses Malone); '85, what looked like we'd finally put out Philadelphia (home court advantage & all), they sweep us, we lacked the big men; I keep hearing about that Joe Barry Caroll acquisition falling through. What if Alex English wouldve stayed? But I heard he changed his game when he went to Denver.

[@dmichael100]

Basically, Alex English just had much more opportunity to shoot with that unusual Denver offense of Doug Moe. Also, the Bucks got better AFTER they traded Alex, because English was not strong defensively. They had plenty of scoring in Milwaukee: Moncrief, Marques Johnson, Brian Winters- so English and Milwaukee were probably better off when they parted ways.

[@ryanstrnad8442]

@@dmichael100 Alex English wouldve been to those Bucks similar to what Michael Redd was to the Bucks teams of the late 00 decade. It was the 09-10 Bucks team where Redd was injured early on, and they went 46-36 and took Atlanta to 7 games in the first round. That teams best season between the early 00s and late teens.

[@Wallyworld30]

My favorite Bucks where 1. Terry Cummings 2. Ricky Pierce 3. Jack Sikma 4. Paul Pressey. I loved Sid Moncief too but he was passed his prime when I started watching the Bucks. Paul Pressey visited my middleschool in late 80's and he was and still is an awesome guy. He is on twitter and always resonds when I ask him a question.

[@MrCollinGabriel]

Too bad Sid the Squid never fell off his primus because he was the GOATS of BOATS.

[@smsmoof8128]

Mine: 1) Sidney Moncrief, 2) Lew Al Cindor, 3) Terry Cummings, 4) Bobby Dandridge, 5) Marques Johnson. Honorable Mention: Paul Pressey, Bob Lanier, Oscar Robertson (like Hank Aaron should of received way more spotlight than he got imo)

[@162RMW]

Grew up in and around Philly and was a Sixers fan. Really admired the 80's Bucks, especially Terry Cummings. Underrated player.

[@Philtration]

Some outstanding Bucks teams back then. I saw Terry Cummings play in high school. Mark Aguirre and Isiah Thomas too.

[@johnnyjoey]

I’m glad this video has been done! That team was so stacked with talent, but never got over the hump competing with the Sixers, Celtics, Pistons and Bulls every year! The title is perfect, they were great every year!

[@randallmadison9910]

Getting past Boston and Philly. The big three of the East. They were good, very good.

[@123slasher.16]

Boston they had no problem with, it was Philly. They swept Bird and Boston.

[@KenoshaKarl]

Moncrief was a Superstar. If you were to tell a young player to emulate someone, you could do no better than Sidney Moncrief.

[@dmichael100]

I absolutely agree. I've never been a Bucks' fan, but I have been a avid follower of the NBA since the 70s and I have thought for a long time that the 80s Bucks would have won multiple titles had it not been for transcendent, generational Boston and Los Angeles' teams. If you took almost any of those 80s Milwaukee teams, they were better than several championship/runnerup teams of the 2000s.

[@robertburke2253]

Swept the Celtics in '83; that still smarts! Every year, in the 80s, they put a contending team on the floor, no question...

[@joedufek2810]

THANK YOU SO MUCH for this. I LOVED watching this team as a kid in the 80s

[@RyJsLn]

I always loved Terry Cummings.

[@kylehammond8345]

This was the Milwaukee Bucks of my childhood. I have such fond memories for those teams! Thank you for putting this great video together. One of the things that hurt the Bucks back then was that they were so good but just not good enough. They almost needed to have one really bad year so they could draft another super star to put them over the top. The other issue was that players didn't want to play in the a cold weather small market city.

[@blockbullyrecords5417]

Marcus Johnson Crenshaws elite 💯💯💯

[@RLJSlick]

Great video! I remember that team so well, even went to plenty of games at the old MECCA!

[@HELLRASR]

I’m a Milwaukee native and the problem was that the Bucks were a guard driven team, but the league was driven by the front court.

[@alfonsogreen2722]

The 80s Bucks team were great & talented. They should've won NBA titles

[@darkdevil1669]

Moncrief and Lanier always hobbled, giving away Alex English, and what if they had kept Nater and Smith as center combo, Benson being a stiff after kareem ko and Meyers early retirement - so much talent

[@KnightBoat]

Love that you mentioned how much the "point forward" position is a Milwaukee tradition. Even if they seem to be going away from it with Dame. Until Giannis came along this was 100% my favorite era of the Bucks. Terry Cummings was my favorite player because we happened to share the same birthdate.

[@mattwitwicki1387]

Continually calling them “dominant” is a stumble here. They never made it to the chip, much less dominant in any single year. They were very good..that’s the size of it.

[@lookinforthe70s]

I think if you were a fan of an eastern conference NBA team in the 80s. You knew how good Milwaukee was.

[@chrisschaeffer9661]

Jack Sikma, Sid Momcrief, Bob Lanier, Rickey Pierce

[@Wallyworld30]

Sikma was solid rebounder and incredible FT Shooter.

[@BasketballJones48021]

One of the best teams that didn’t make the Finals ever, if not the best! And they had various great years/teams. The league was too GOATed back then though, especially the eastern conference… they would’ve been in the Finals (at least), otherwise…

[@thecellulontriptometer4166]

I disagree on why/when it started. It started with the Abdul Jabbar trade to LA for Elmore Smith, Brian Winters, Junior Bridgeman and Dave Meyers. This trade allowed Don Nelson to build the team he wanted through subsequent trades and draft picks. Generally getting a bunch of players for 1 isn't a great deal because the roster is only so big, making it likely some players will be released. But that is not what they did, they used those players to get the key players and draft picks he used for picking up the players he wanted. It takes digging through all the trades that involved those 4 after they went to Milwaukee to realize that this one trade was so important to the Bucks future success (though Bridgeman stayed). I'm from Milwaukee Wisconsin so the Bucks have always been my team, and I've followed them closely my whole life.

[@smsmoof8128]

Benson and Grunfeld were such wasted picks from that Jabbar trade, it still makes me sick to this day.

[@andresdelportillo9917]

Milwaukee native here , my favorite era was the Ray Allen era , those refs screwed us vs Philly

[@camoss3724]

@@smsmoof8128 Rarely when a team trades a superstar player does it get equal value in return. Given the circumstances, however, the Bucks made out about as best they could in this trade. The only other team going hard after Kareem was the Knicks, but they had little to offer in return except cash. The Lakers at least had some players who could help Milwaukee's team. The Bucks were between the proverbial rock and a hard place. They could have kept Kareem for one more season and then hoped to receive adequate compensation for him when he signed elsewhere. Trouble was, if the two involved teams could not agree on said compensation, the league could step in and establish what it considered to be fair compensation (like when the NBA awarded the Lakers three first-round draft picks when the Jazz signed aging Gail Goodrich away from them; one of those picks turned out to be a fellow named Magic Johnson). Rather than put their future fate in the hands of a third party, the Bucks took the best offer they could get for Kareem. The deal you make for yourself is almost always better than the deal someone else makes for you.

[@jameswinston5512]

Marques Johnson is my favorite player of all time

[@greghamilton4129]

This was my favorite team during this era. My favorite player since he was in college was Sidney Moncrief.

[@kommandantklink5032]

This was such a great team. It was shame they could not get to one NBA finals. The heyday of the NBA for me with 3 great teams in the Celtics, 76ers, Lakers and the Bucks oh so close. Also brings back memories of listening to Eddie Doucette call games on the radio. He was the best just brought the games to life.

[@JosePerez-vz1qq]

The only team that won a playoff game against the 1982-83 Philadelphia 76ers was Milwaukee.

[@brettrobinson2901]

And they were ALL close except for one as I recall...

[@JosePerez-vz1qq]

@brettrobinson2901 indeed. One of the greatest playoff series in NBA history in terms of excitement and intensity

[@brettrobinson2901]

@@JosePerez-vz1qq Yup...I just can't get in to today's version of pro basketball.... My problem I guess...

[@bpsactclass2218]

This is what current fans do not understand. The 80s were unbelievable. There was so much talent. Every win had to be earned. The playoffs were tough from beginning to end. This is also why there is no GOAT. Jordan was the best player in the 90s, but Jordan did not win the 80s because Jordan was not a team player like Bird, Magic, Dr J, and other greats in that decade. By the time Jordan figured out to work with teammates, it was the 90s and the league was much weaker. That does not take away from Jordan's greatness; he is an all-time great. That is why Jordan himself has said there is no GOAT, because you cannot compare players from different eras. This is also why it is frustrating when younger fans dismiss Bird. Bird led the Celtics to eight regular season Eastern Conference titles during his first nine years in the league after the Celtics finished 10th the two previous seasons. Bird/Celtics had to deal with the Sixers, Bucks, Pistons, and Jordan's Bulls. Bird finished in the top four in MVP voting during those nine seasons: 1st (3), 2nd (4), 3rd (1), and 4th (1, rookie season).

[@lawrencebrodsky8894]

Jordan didn't win a playoff series until Scottie Pippen arrived. Never won a playoff series without Pippen. Not because he wasn't team player he was he knew his game was through the hoop and the teams didn't adapt to be good enough to win. Even though the competition was much weaker starting in the 90's.

[@bogiekmh44]

Those Bucks team was great to watch. Just couldn't get by two great teams during the time Celtics/Sixers. I would love to those Bucks teams go against the Lakers.

[@mocegan1869]

...and with Eddie Doucette, we had the best play by play announcer the Bucks have ever had!

[@therobotocracy]

I grew up a cheesehead in this time and would go to bucks games all the time. They were amazing!

[@derrickjones3543]

I used to love watching the bucks play at the meeca moncrief was my favorite player

[@realmarjenkins7971]

Amazing bucks history lesson. I was born in Milwaukee in the 70’s was a kid in the 80’s went to games in the Mecca arena. Absolutely loved the bucks but I never knew why. Now I know. The 90’s was even better for me although I don’t know the stats it would be great for a video on the 90’s bucks big 3

[@oceanhardware77]

Nice cinema work. Well told. And that's coming from a Chicago fan.

[@bonesjackson81]

80s Bucks or 90s Sonics. Both damn good teams that coulda.

[@jonolson8972]

Two things stand out for me during this era of Bucks history: first was the size of Bob Lanier’s feet, and 2nd was the exciting play of sixth man Micky Johnson.

[@jrm2383]

Somehow they always had to play Philly and Boston in the playoffs and couldn’t beat both

[@alistairfannell6694]

They were such an elite team. The Problem they couldn’t beat the Celtics, 76ers and the Pistons.

[@brettrobinson2901]

SUPER, SUPER, SID!!!

[@Wallyworld30]

KZbin Channel "Stupid Beyond Belief" recently did a documentary on Jack Sikma and Paul Mokeski having a cocaine problem. They got mixed up with a dealer in Phoneix in 1987. John Lucas also famously had a drug problem. That is 4 Bucks counting Marques Johnson with Coke problems. What a mess.

[@chalesgolding5314]

Guess you weren’t alive back then so let me clue you in …we all had coke problems back then

[@deathtoideologues]

Winters was fun to watch when hot. Pierce was incredibly quick. If 76ers don't get Malone they get to the championship that year.

[@renodangle]

7:13, Terry Cummings throwing down a dunk over Bill Laimbeer, priceless.

[@MarkHermann-u5p]

Totally underated team needed a superstar

[@camoss3724]

The Bucks' run started, however, during the 1979-80 season when they were still in the Western Conference. That was the year they got Bob Lanier from the Pistons and wound up winning the Midwest Division at 49-33. They then lost an excruciating seven-game series to the defending champion Sonics in the conference semis. Whether they could have defeated the Lakers in the conference finals, we'll never know, but I think they would have matched up better with Los Angeles than did Seattle.

[@PurpleImpactStrategies]

Great teams..loved em

[@GG-si7fw]

I knew that some else paved the way for the Buffalo Bills. Now, who was ground breaker for the Bucks in the 70's.

[@65May2]

Agree 100% they were that good

[@Rawstock92]

Late 80s, early 90s, Portland Trailblazers … Drexler, Kersey, Porter, Williams, Duckworth …

[@jerryalexander8803]

As a Pistons fan the bucks were an absolute menace, only team I feared more than the bucks as a fan was the Celtics

[@MarkHermann-u5p]

Don Nelson was a defensive genius like Buddy Ryan in the NFL

[@123slasher.16]

Their problem was in their prime, they couldn't beat Philly.

[@chuckokelley2448]

They have a statue of Super Sydney

[@rokrok60]

Boston and Philly were our biggest obstacles when it came to playoff time. We’d beat one, but then get smacked by the other.

[@TheCyberAthlete]

This same type of video could be done wit the Mavericks of the 80's.

[@bucksdiaryfan]

Bucks fans would always say we were unfortunate to be in the same conference as Bost and Philly. The more I think about that tho, the weaker it seems. Every team in any era has rival teams of near equal strength. If you are a champion, you overcome those obstacles

[@dubbrown5594]

This was a great team! They just couldn't get past Philly.They swept Boston in 83

[@HowardGroves-nd2qo]

Terry Cummings, Junior Bridgeman, Ricky Pierce, and the 1st Point Forward- Paul Pressey.

[@HowardGroves-nd2qo]

Not even mentioning Moncreif, M. Johnson, and Lanier.

[@franzschubertv2874]

Like the Utah Jazz of the 90’s.

[@brando7266]

At least the jazz made 2 finals,

[@joupacabra]

Injuries caught up to Moncrief unfortunately as well.

[@Zamppa86]

More than injuries he actually had degenerative knees which just gave up eventually. Too bad really, because he was such a good and complete player. Would have wanted to see him play for longer.

[@aaronaigner3481]

I still think the Jazz (Stockton/Malone) were the greatest team (by length of success) to never win a title. They were REALLY good for a long period of time. My Blazers (Clyde, Porter, Kersey, Buck Williams) would also be in the conversation but their run was only 89-93.

[@jefferyjackson134]

Besides to what Gilbert Arenas saying, the eighties is the most exciting of basketball.

[@PowidzMalwa]

I said a few years back any Bucks team from the 80s beat the Bucks team that won the championship a few years ago easily.

[@alfarabi73]

You know it's a weak era in terms of power forwards when Terry Cummings is arguably the best at the time. (And according to my memory recall, he may in fact have been!)

[@shaunmyers3562]

Ricky Pierce was that dude.

[@rubenrivera1496]

Really good team. If Boston, Philadelphia didn’t exist, they would’ve won multiple eastern conference championships

[@willdodge200]

The Bucks got screwed out of having Doctor J on the team. They had drafted him, but the League let the Sixers have him.

[@jameswinston5512]

The bucks and the Atlanta hawks had a chance to get Julius Erving in 1972, unfortunately he had signed a contract with the Hawks and he played in one preseason game with them, but some how the Virginia squires trade Dr. J to the New York nets that summer and the legend of Dr.J began

[@jameswinston5512]

The bucks and the Atlanta hawks had a chance to get Julius Erving in 1972, unfortunately he had signed a contract with the Hawks and he played in one preseason game with them, but some how the Virginia squires trade Dr. J to the New York nets that summer and the legend of Dr.J began

[@JMDogg]

You didn't get to Boston or Philadelphia in the 80s until you whupped Milwaukee! They gave teams ALL they could handle.

[@Phil-tt3xg]

They were like the Jacksonville jaguars.

[@1200hobos]

The NBA Decided they should win in the early 80s. The Zeitgeist was pickups and flannel. They pander to societal trends.

[@warreno.bryant4406]

Put them this era have bob l m johnson to 84 t.c j.s championship or u add a greek freak with sid squid moncrief dynasty

[@SuperJuniorquintero]

"There's no shame in losing to those Hall of Fame players", tell them that.

[@Wizardsleave69]

90s Jazz have left the chat

[@andrewpulda7969]

You didn't even mention Q. Buckner and B. Winters. Were they the best team of the 80s not to win a title? Probably, but they never made a Finals, the Gary Payton/ Shawn Kemp Sonics, K. Johnson/ Charles Barkley Suns, and The Stockton/ Malone Jazz Teams as well as the Drexler lead Portland squad were all loaded and made finals. Had it not been for one guy named Jordan, all these teams could/would have won titles in the 90s. Don't forget about the Ewing Knicks and the Reggie Pacers of that era.

[@JimBrave-ri1oc]

I Think The 90's Knicks. The Kings of the early 2000's were Up There Too. Also the 2000's Mavericks.

[@JKastle007]

Bucks in 6 🦌

[@christopherbrownlee4587]

Utah Jazz 97 and 98

[@JosephMiller-gh6mv]

Remember Marquis Johnson was in the movie White Men cant Jump he robbed the store.

[@therobotocracy]

Junior Bridgeman.

[@MarkHermann-u5p]

It's too bad they didnt keep Alex English😢

[@shellybastion9974]

Oh stop. They're all my heroes.

[@tatesinclair6837]

Two reasons the Bucks didn't win a title? 1) Larry Bird 2) Moses Malone

[@123slasher.16]

Not true. Moses didn't play for Philly in 1981. They swept Bird 2 years later.

[@DeeNice681]

@@123slasher.16 They couldn’t beat the Sixers and the thing is Marques Johnson would play really well and it wouldn’t matter!

[@therobotocracy]

How about Brian Winters

[@anthonyclarke860]

Oscar Robinson was the best Bucks player

[@65May2]

Give me Oscar Robertson Bob dandridge Lucius Allen Lew alcindor

[@charleswilliams4088]

Definitely a forgotten great team they were I think don nelson was the issue he was good but never got over the hump

[@troythielen3201]

i would say also the trailblazers 91 and 92 would be up there as well but the greatest to never win a title would be the Golden State Warriors for 2016 they haded that title to cry baby lebron and he wasnt even the best player on the team

[@chrisschaeffer9661]

90 to 92 Clyde, Terry Porter and Jerome Kersey were suck a blast too watch.

[@MrCollinGabriel]

That’s because LeBron was busy b-slapping them like lil’ swishes. He clapped all them cheeks bruh.

[@redgyetienne9765]

They beat MJ twice in the playoffs

[@PhilBurr100]

Once*

[@bwink23]

Once, his rookie year

[@chrisschaeffer9661]

​@@bwink23. Dick riders were Ready for it. Don't say Two to the Dick we Ride.

[@chrisschaeffer9661]

​@@PhilBurr100. Dick riders are on Point.

[@Wallyworld30]

Terry Cummings is the only player to ever outscore MJ in a Playoff series.

[@edshawgraphix]

Milwaukee always needed a dominate BIG MAN. Bob Lanier was ok, but he wasn't better than Moses or Kareem. Lanier had weak knees and was getting old. My favorites were Sidney, Marques, and Paul Pressey. All the Bucks needed was a dominate big man that could help get them pass the Celtics and Sixers. Bob Lanier just wasn't good to me.

[@PurpleImpactStrategies]

MJ….and he would kill Dr J on the one on one matchups

[@webbgems67]

When the NBA was competitive... now NBA stands for Now Beginning to Annoy🤨