The Forgotten 1980's Milwaukee Bucks

[@frankv7774]

It's almost criminal that the Bucks didn't get at least 2-3 more championships in that era up to 2001

[@dmichael100]

Great video. You are absolutely right- the 80s Bucks were a championship level team for close to a decade.

[@gregdonato7485]

I'll never forget them... I'm a big sixer fan since 79 and they met many times in the 80s and what battles they were great memories with great players on both sides !!!

[@smokeyjoe795]

I remember this team being on the same level as Philly, Boston, LA, San Antonio. They had great battles with The 76ers. Milwaukee swept the Celtics in 1983. Marques Johnson was smooth. Lanier was an underrated center. Moncrief one of my favorite players of that era. He was like Dumars but better. Junior Bridgemen was sweet as well.

[@steves9964]

The Mecca was a dark joint. That and sometimes it looked like the bottom of the nets were so narrow that the ball couldn't fit through it.

[@bryanburnap4537]

I was always felt like the Mecca The Forum and even The Summit and the Omni in Atlanta had those thin stiff nets. Opposed to Boston Garden and the Spectrum or even the Meadowlands and Reunion arena for example

[@bryantmoore2696]

Reminded me of a poor man's Boston Garden. The baskets were similar. Iconic mecca floor. The wooden chairs as the bench seating.

[@steves9964]

​@@bryantmoore2696 It's nice to see other people are as disturbed as me because I love talking about those old NBA arenas. Every building had it's own unique environment with different buzzers, horns, organ music, seating configurations (including where the team benches were) basket stanchions and net designs and so much more. Nowadays probably because of saturation and copycatting everything is the same, the fans are further away from the action, the buildings are cavernous and in most places they drown out the action on the floor with nonstop music. It's a shame but that's how it is. Kids today don't care whether the ball got caught at the bottom of The Mecca's nets.

[@ckobo84]

If not for the Moses Malone trade they might be NBA champs in '83.

[@jeffreekoch9298]

As a kid, I remember them. Great defensive teams during the 80s. Just couldnt get past 76ers and/or Celtics in the playoffs year to year. Shouldve won another title or 2 during those yrs.

[@82and0]

I remember someone told me the 80s only had 2 good teams. I about lost it lol

[@jeffreekoch9298]

@@82and0 lol. Yup. They were wrong about that 😉 you are right

[@panama8009]

They swept the Celtics 4-0 in 83 playoffs.

[@jeffreekoch9298]

@@panama8009 True. Some years, they would beat 76ers and Celtics in the playoffs during the '80s. Only to meet the other in next round, to lose. Kept them from winning an NBA title during that decade.

[@theetruth8626]

Don Nelson style was the reason for all that winning

[@kberg2020]

I remember I was there watching. Every year, the Bucks made the semi finals to be outed in 7 games by Phili, then Boston. Repeat. Repeat.......

[@bulwyf2572]

I started watching the NBA in 1979. I am a die hard Atlanta Hawks fan but I love the *game* itself. I loved the 80's Celtics, Bucks, Nuggets and the Mark Price Cavs. Those teams were so fun to watch and played as a true team should on both sides of the basketball. I have to mention that Alvin Robertson was completely cleared of those insane claims he was in a human trafficking ring. The woman completely lied about all of it. It ruined his life and his name but he was cleared of everything. So you don't have to not talk about Alvin Robertson. He deserves to be talked about. Great, great defensive player and a good offensive player.

[@theetruth8626]

We would won a championship if Herb Kohl let Don Nelson run things

[@Chester-xq5vc]

You missed a very important part. After the 1980 season the Bucks moved from the western conference to the east and the San Antonio Spurs moved from the east to west.

[@bryanburnap4537]

I've been bringing that up a lot in Bucks videos. Yeah that move was a sneaky big move for the landscape of the decade. The Bucks vs Lakers in the conference finals could have been the equivalent of Celtics vs Sixers in the East. A annual final four especially in those early to mid 80's.

[@ckobo84]

Crazy, not a single 1st rd pick for Kareem? But 5 for Rudy Gobert.

[@schrapnellcotton3413]

There was definitely bias towards the bigger markets, I remember. Boston, Philly, LA...Bucks were good enough to win at LEAST one during that time but the script was mainly LA/Boston.

[@drewlavay]

Oh snap that was quick lol Appreciate the video my guy gonna watch omw to work 👏🏼

[@mr.goodenough3796]

In the early to mid 80s they were just a slight notch below Boston and Philly in the East. Great team.

[@bryanburnap4537]

They never should have moved from the West to the East in 1980

[@steves9964]

@@bryanburnap4537 That had to be because of the Dallas expansion for 1980-81, right? The Central Division already had six teams as of 1979-80, so there's no way they could have just added Dallas there and called it a day when the Atlantic and Midwest only had five apiece. Obviously Dallas had to join Houston and San Antonio and everyone else in the Central at the time either weren't going to be moved west (Atlanta and Cleveland) or had already been moved from the west (Detroit and Indiana). Had to be a MIlwaukee-Chicago swap for San Antonio-Houston.

[@bryanburnap4537]

@@steves9964 that makes sense for sure

[@josemariamesa5460]

Had lanier been healthy like in his pistons days,bucks could have won a title.

[@bryantmoore2696]

They can say plumbers yada yada but the 80s was the best decade ever in the NBA. The story lines drama and good teams were ridiculous. The Bucks had formidable squads. In those days it took great darn near iconic teams to but teams like The Bucks The Rockets The Hawks The Spurs The Nuggets etc.

[@jameswinston8533]

They were the 4th best team from 1979 til about 1984

[@82and0]

They should have won a title. Its to bad

[@josephmahet4510]

It's Marques not Marquisse Johnson.

[@82and0]

Thanks

[@mrboo3049]

@@82and0 Is there a real audio of this video brother💯😘😉

[@master-kq3nw]

Excellent team

[@dwayneclark5164]

Awesome video!

[@82and0]

Appreciate it

[@fiozfantominout]

Jordan lost in the playoffs to Magic, Pistons, Celtics, and the 84Bucks. That's what led me here.

[@82and0]

80s bucks were solid.

[@TRJ2241987]

Terry Cummings in 1985 is the only player in history to outscore Michael Jordan in a Playoff series

[@TheBrett04]

Too bad Kareem Abdul Jabbar (aka Lew Alcindor) wasn't happy in Milwaukee. The center position was their only weak spot. They would've been on the same level as Boston, Philadelphia and L.A. Sure Jack Sikma and Bob Lanier were solid, but let's face it, they were no Kareem.

[@ric2097]

You think he was a better defender then Bobby Jones from '79 to '85 ??