3 best Milwaukee Bucks players of all time

The Milwaukee Bucks don't quite have the history of the Boston Celtics or Los Angeles Lakers. After all, they only have two NBA Titles to their name. But some of the greatest players of all-time have come through Milwaukee on their quest to prove their dominance. MVPs, Hall of Famers, champions, elite defenders, top-level scorers, etc.

These great players have come around in each of the last five decades. The players have helped turn the city of Milwaukee into a basketball town and put the franchise on the map. When people think of the best players in the history of the Bucks, they think of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and Oscar Robertson.

Top Three Milwaukee Bucks

Giannis Antetokounmpo

If your nickname is the "Greek Freak," that means you are an absolute force. This is especially the case with the legend Giannis Antetokounmpo. At just 28 years of age, Antetokounmpo has a career portfolio that young basketball players dream about.

The Bucks star has played for Milwaukee for his entire NBA career (2011-present). He has earned 7 All-Star trips, 6 All-NBA nominations, back-to-back MVPs (2019-2020), and a Defensive Player of the Year Award (2020). He has been the face of Milwaukee Sports for a decade. The major highlight of his Milwaukee tenure is bringing the team their first title in 50 years (2021).

An annual MVP candidate, the "Greek Freak" is one of the best European players in NBA history. He is a member of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team and has a higher scoring average than the likes of Charles Barkley, Dwyane Wade, and Hakeem Olajuwon (22.6). By the time his career is all over, he is on track to go down as the greatest Milwaukee Buck ever.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Most basketball fans remember Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as an all-time great Laker. Before he joined the Lakers in 1975, he spent six years with the Milwaukee Bucks (1969-1975). Abdul-Jabbar earned five All-Star appearances, five All-NBA nominations, three MVPs, and he helped the franchise win its first-ever NBA Championship.

Abdul-Jabbar retired as the NBA's all-time scoring leader (currently second all-time; 38,387). He also sits third all-time in career rebounds (17,440). The two-time scoring champion with the Bucks (1971-1972) is arguably the greatest NBA player ever. He would not be viewed that way without his time in Milwaukee.

According to Basketball Reference, Jabbar averaged over 40 minutes per game each season with the Milwaukee Bucks and over 30 points per game in four of his six seasons. He was one of the most consistent players in the Milwaukee Bucks' history and arguably the best player in franchise history. That is until the "Greek Freak" came along.

Oscar Robertson

Despite playing just four seasons for the Milwaukee Bucks, Robertson is one of the greatest players in the Bucks' history. He had a major hand, like Abdul-Jabbar, in bringing the Milwaukee Bucks their first franchise title in 1971. The "Big O" earned two All-Star appearances and two All-NBA nominations with the Bucks.

Robertson was extremely consistent in Milwaukee as he averaged over 35 minutes per game in each of his four seasons, along with 7.5 assists per game. The Hall of Famer is one of the greatest distributors in NBA history (9,887 career assists; most all-time at the time of his retirement in 1974).

The Bucks do not have two trophies in their trophy case without Oscar Robertson. His No. 1 jersey is retired with the Bucks, as it should be. You cannot tell the great story of Oscar Robertson or the Milwaukee Bucks without Robertson's time in Milwaukee. He is one of the best players in franchise history.