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The Milwaukee Bucks are the reigning NBA champions after a 47-year Finals hiatus. Since 1974, the Bucks did not feature in any NBA Finals till this year, struggling to get past the conference finals on five occasions.
Giannis Antetokounmpo helped the Milwaukee Bucks win their second NBA title in 2021 against the Phoenix Suns. That marked their first Championship win since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led them all the way in 1971. A few players have come close to winning a championship for the Bucks, but have failed.
Some of the NBA's greatest players have had stints with the Milwaukee Bucks. That includes Oscar Robertson and, of course, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, even though the latter is better known for his time with the LA Lakers. But not all have been successful, as far as winning the most coveted trophy is concerned.
On that note, here're the top five players from the Milwaukee Bucks who could have won the NBA championship but didn't.
#5 Bob Lanier
Bob Lanier was selected by the Detroit Pistons with the first overall pick in the 1970 NBA. He had a good stint with the team, making seven All-Star appearances. However, he got traded to the Milwaukee Bucks midway through the 1979-80 season, where he played out his career.
Lanier battled a knee injury throughout his career, to the extent that he played his entire rookie season while recovering from surgery. In the four-and-a-half years he spent with the Milwaukee Bucks, he made one All-Star appearance. He led the team to two conference finals, but the Bucks were eliminated in five games on both occasions.
The big man was a significant addition for the Milwaukee Bucks in the paint, providing much-needed presence in the low post. In his time with the Bucks, he averaged 13.5 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists. Although his time in Milwaukee was short, he hoped to play alongside Bucks teammates like Marques Johnson and Sidney Moncrief when he was younger.
#4 Paul Pressey
The Milwaukee Bucks selected Paul Pressey in the 1982 draft with the 20th overall pick. He spent seven years with the Bucks, and led the team in assists for five straight seasons.
Pressey is known to be the originator of the point forward position. He played as a small forward, but was responsible for most of the ball-handling for the Milwaukee Bucks. He also played alongside Hall of Famer Lanier and other Bucks legends, reaching three NBA Eastern Conference Finals.
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#3 Sidney Moncrief
Sidney Moncrief was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the fifth overall pick in the 1979 NBA draft. He spent ten seasons with the team. Although the NBA championship eluded him, Moncrief partnered with some of the best players in that era, leading the Bucks to multiple playoff appearances.
Moncrief was a defensive anchor for the Milwaukee Bucks, winning two Defensive Player of the Year awards and making five NBA All-Defensive teams. As great a defender he was, Sid the Squid was also an efficient scorer, averaging 16.7 points during his time with the Bucks. He also made five All-Star appearances between 1982 and 1986.
Despite Moncrief's efforts, the Milwaukee Bucks never got past the Eastern Conference Finals. He was part of an elite team that reached the conference finals three times between 1983 and 1986. But the Bucks fell to the Boston Celtics twice and the Philadelphia 76ers once.
While they lost the series to the Sixers (4-1), who were the eventual champions, The Bucks deserve kudos for being the only team that won a game against them in the 1983 postseason campaign.
#2 Glenn Robinson
Glenn Robinson is another Milwaukee Bucks legend who stood a good chance of winning a championship, but fell short. He was selected by the Bucks with the first overall pick in the 1994 NBA draft.
In his eight-year stint with the Milwaukee Bucks, he reached the playoffs three times, with his deepest run coming in the 2000-01 season. The Bucks fell to Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers, but made them work hard for the win. After a back-and-forth series, the Sixers emphatically won Game 7 to advance to the NBA Finals.
Robinson averaged 21.1 points, and made two All-Star appearances in his time with the Milwaukee Bucks. He won the ring in 2005, but after joining the San Antonio Spurs, though.
#1 Ray Allen
Ray Allen is nowhere close to being the greatest player to represent the Milwaukee Bucks. But he was the best player in a Bucks team that came close to winning a championship. He was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft, but was immediately traded to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Although he was more successful during his time with the Boston Celtics, he played a pivotal role in helping the Milwaukee Bucks in their 2001 NBA playoffs run. He scored 41 points in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals to force a Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Allen spent six years with the Bucks, making three All-Star appearances. He shot 40.6% from the three-point range, and is the record holder of three-pointers made in NBA history.
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