The Bradley Center (also known as the BMO Harris Bradley Center under sponsorship agreements) was a multi-purpose arena located on the northwest corner of North Vel R. Phillips Ave. and West State Streets in downtown Milwaukee , Wisconsin , United States.
105-957: It was home to the Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA and the Marquette University men's basketball team . It was also the home of the Milwaukee Wave of the MISL , from 1988 to 2003, the original Milwaukee Mustangs of the AFL from 1994 to 2001, along with the second incarnation of the team from 2009 to 2012, the Badger Hockey Showdown from 1989 to 2002, and the Milwaukee Admirals of the AHL (and formerly of
210-667: A Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1956 and a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School in 1958. While an undergraduate, he joined the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity . He was also a roommate of Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig . Between 1958 and 1964, Kohl was a member of the United States Army Reserve . After finishing graduate school, Kohl worked as an investor in real estate and
315-611: A United States senator from Wisconsin , from 1989 to 2013, and earlier served as chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin . From 1970 to 1979, Kohl was president of Kohl's Corporation, his family's business that owned the Kohl's department stores chain. He purchased the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association in 1985 to prevent the team from relocating out of Milwaukee. He
420-552: A new arena fell through, the NBA could have bought the team and moved it to Las Vegas or Seattle . Current Bucks owners Wes Edens, Marc Lasry and Jamie Dinan combined with Herb Kohl to pledge $ 250 million for a new arena and sought a match from the public. Of those funds, $ 93 million would come from the Wisconsin Center District in the form of new debt on Milwaukee citizens. The district would not commence repaying
525-742: A 12–2 record in the playoffs, they won their first NBA championship on April 30, 1971, by sweeping the Baltimore Bullets in four games. By winning the championship in only their third season, the Bucks became one of the fastest true expansion teams in North American professional sports history to win a league championship. The Bucks remained a powerhouse for the first half of the 1970s. In 1972, Alcindor, who had already privately converted to Islam and changed his name, publicly announced his name change to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar . The Bucks reached
630-707: A brief illness. The next day, Governor Tony Evers ordered that flags be flown at half-staff until his funeral. Kohl donated $ 25 million to the University of Wisconsin–Madison for construction of its new sports arena, which was named the Kohl Center . In 1990, Kohl established the Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Achievement Award Program, which provides annual grants totaling $ 400,000 to 200 graduating seniors, 100 teachers, and 100 schools throughout Wisconsin. In 2016, he gave $ 1.5 million to
735-639: A cartoonish deer, was replaced in favor of a more realistic one. The primary color scheme was altered as well, when red was supplanted by purple. Purple road uniforms replaced the former green away uniforms. In 1997, the Bucks sent all-star forward Vin Baker in a three-team trade to the Seattle SuperSonics , and they would acquire Cleveland Cavaliers guard Terrell Brandon and forward Tyrone Hill . They also traded their 10th overall pick Danny Fortson , guard Johnny Newman , and center Joe Wolf to
840-403: A donor and fundraiser for Patrick Lucey , who was elected Governor of Wisconsin in 1970 and reelected in 1974. After the 1974 election, Kohl first emerged in the state political arena as master of ceremonies at Lucey's second inauguration. Shortly after that inauguration, the chairman of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin , Bill Gerrard—another Lucey ally—resigned. Lucey encouraged Kohl to seek
945-505: A first-round pick, Shaun Livingston , Jon Brockman , and Jon Leuer to the Houston Rockets for a first-round pick and Samuel Dalembert . In the 2012 draft, the Bucks selected Doron Lamb and John Henson . After 32 games of the 2012–13 season, the Bucks fired Skiles, their coach since 2008. Jim Boylan was announced as the interim head coach and led the Bucks to a 22–28 record to finish the season at 38–44. The Bucks qualified as
1050-529: A foregone conclusion that the first pick in the draft would be Lew Alcindor of UCLA . The Bucks won the coin flip, but had to win a bidding war with the New York Nets of the upstart American Basketball Association (ABA) to secure him. With the addition of Alcindor, the Bucks finished with a 56–26 record in 1969–70 , second-best in the league behind the New York Knicks . Not only was this
1155-603: A good nickname, saying that bucks were "spirited, good jumpers, fast and agile." The Bucks marked a return of the NBA to Milwaukee after 13 years; their previous team, the Hawks , played for four seasons in the early 1950s before moving to St. Louis in 1955 (they are now based in Atlanta ). In October, the Bucks played their first NBA regular-season game against the Chicago Bulls before a Milwaukee Arena crowd of 8,467. As
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#17327807769001260-481: A larger market, either Los Angeles or New York. After the front office was unable to convince him to stay, the Bucks obliged Abdul-Jabbar's request by trading him to the Lakers on June 16, 1975, for Elmore Smith , Junior Bridgeman , Brian Winters , and David Meyers . The trade triggered a series of events that led to a change in the team's ownership. Minority owner and cable television executive Jim Fitzgerald opposed
1365-700: A near-reversal of their inaugural season, but the 29-game improvement was the best in league history – a record which would stand for ten years until the Boston Celtics jumped from 29 wins in 1978–79 to 61 in 1979–80 . The Bucks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in five games in the Eastern Conference semifinals, only to be dispatched in five by the Knicks in the Eastern finals. Alcindor was
1470-575: A new, state-of-the-art downtown arena, but the community reaction to the idea of a publicly funded arena was mostly negative. In 2009, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle included a provision in the state's capital budget seeking $ 5 million in state bonding support to renovate the Bradley Center. The Bradley Center's board of directors told state officials that the building needs $ 23 million in renovations, so they reportedly agreed to raise
1575-409: A playoff series (during Jordan's rookie year), and hosting Julius Erving 's final NBA game in the 1987 NBA playoffs , which would see the Bucks advancing with a game five first-round playoff victory. In 1985, Fitzgerald and his partners (one of which was Stuart Shadel) decided to sell the Bucks. Fitzgerald was having health problems and some of his investors wanted to get out, and he was reeling from
1680-517: A replacement for the BMO Harris Bradley Center, which at the time was the third-oldest arena being used by an NBA team, behind Oracle Arena , and Madison Square Garden . On the court, the young roster of the Bucks went through a step backward, to a 33–49 record in the 2015–16 season, though Giannis Antetokounmpo had an encouraging stretch in the final half of the season, accumulating 5 triple-doubles. On June 18, 2016, ground
1785-529: A runaway selection for NBA Rookie of the Year . The following season , the Bucks traded for Cincinnati Royals guard Oscar Robertson to complement Alcindor. Subsequently, the Bucks, now in the Western Conference, finished 66–16, the second-most wins in NBA history at the time, and still a franchise record. During the regular season, the Bucks recorded a then-NBA record 20-game win streak . Posting
1890-622: A significant minority interest in the team. The new owners were expected to keep the team in Milwaukee. They were also expected to contribute $ 100 million toward building a new arena for the franchise. Approval from the NBA Board of Governors came on May 15, a month later. By this time, Bradley Center was seen as obsolete. The donation from the Bradley heirs did not provide for the arena's operating expenses or long-term capital needs. This led
1995-585: A swoon in February and March. The collapse culminated with a loss to the Detroit Pistons on the final night of the season, which eliminated the Bucks from the playoffs and gave the division to the Pistons. The fallout created tension between Karl and the players, resulting in a trade of Glenn Robinson to Atlanta (for Toni Kukoč and a 2003 first-round draft pick, used to select T. J. Ford ). During
2100-508: A torn hamstring during a practice. Even so, the Bucks remained competitive, staying around .500 for the first half of the season, with both Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker leading the offense. While Parker missed making the All-Star team, Giannis was voted in as a starter, becoming the first Bucks All-Star since Michael Redd in 2004. In January, the Bucks slumped, though fans anticipated a turnaround with Middleton's return on February 8 against
2205-466: Is also the namesake of the Kohl Center arena on the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus. Herbert Hiken Kohl was born on February 7, 1935, and raised in Milwaukee, the son of Mary (née Hiken) and Max Kohl. His father was a Polish Jewish immigrant and his mother was a Russian Jewish immigrant who came to the United States in the 1920s. Kohl attended Washington High School . He earned
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#17327807769002310-470: Is typical with expansion teams, the Bucks' first season ( 1968–69 ) was a struggle. Their first victory came in their sixth game as the Bucks beat the Detroit Pistons 134–118; they won only 26 more games in their first year. That year, the Bucks' record earned them a coin flip against their expansion cousins, the Phoenix Suns , to see who would get the first pick in the upcoming draft. It was considered
2415-687: The 2002–03 season , the Bucks traded Ray Allen and backup Ronald "Flip" Murray to the Seattle SuperSonics for Gary Payton and Desmond Mason . The trade allowed emerging star Michael Redd to see increased playing time, and with Payton in the backcourt, they finished the season with a 42–40 record. The Bucks made the playoffs, but lost in the first round to the New Jersey Nets in six games. That offseason, team leaders Sam Cassell and Ervin Johnson were traded to Minnesota (for Joe Smith ). Payton left via free agency, after playing only 28 games for
2520-564: The Allen-Bradley company; the latter was noted upon the arena's exterior with subtle decorative outlines, hinting of its trademark octagonal logo. Despite being one of the premier NBA facilities when completed in 1988, it was one of the oldest active NBA arenas by the end of the Bucks' tenancy in 2018, only behind Madison Square Garden in New York City, and Oakland Arena , although both had been extensively renovated during
2625-616: The American Hockey League ) used the arena for the majority of its existence. The MECCA, during much of its time operating as an NBA facility, had the league's smallest seating capacity, holding just over 11,000 people. Funds to build the Center were donated as a gift to the State of Wisconsin by broadcaster/Admirals owner Lloyd Pettit and his wife, Jane Bradley Pettit , in memory of Jane's late father, Harry Lynde Bradley of
2730-491: The Brooklyn Nets in exchange for two second-round draft picks in the 2015 NBA draft , and the 2019 NBA draft . With the acquisition of Kidd, the team fired coach Larry Drew . With the many changes to the Bucks in ownership, coaches, and acquiring new young players to rebuild the team, the Bucks' new slogan for the 2014–15 season became " Own The Future ." The Bucks' overall play vastly improved, and on December 26,
2835-774: The Chicago Blackhawks and the Edmonton Oilers . At $ 90 million, it was meant to be a modern replacement of its current cross-street neighbor, The MECCA (now the UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena ), built in 1950. The arena was built as an attempt to attract an expansion franchise for the National Hockey League , though this never occurred, and the International Hockey League 's Milwaukee Admirals (later moving to
2940-414: The Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns , became head coach. On June 26, 2008, the Bucks acquired Richard Jefferson from the New Jersey Nets in a trade for 2007 first-round draft pick Yi Jianlian and Bobby Simmons . Later that day, the Bucks selected West Virginia's Joe Alexander with the eighth pick of the NBA draft. Alexander was the first Taiwanese-born player in the NBA. In the 2009 NBA draft ,
3045-521: The Denver Nuggets for center Ervin Johnson . The 1997–98 Bucks finished their season with a 36–46 record, failing to make the playoffs for the seventh consecutive time. After a decade of dwelling near the bottom of the NBA's standings, the Bucks looked to add credibility to their basketball operations. In 1998, the team hired veteran coach George Karl , who had reached the NBA Finals with
3150-411: The Detroit Pistons in five games. During that period, Michael Redd blossomed into an all-star and a perimeter shooting threat, becoming the new "face of the franchise". The Bucks received the first pick in the 2005 NBA draft , and used it to select center Andrew Bogut . Bogut struggled with both inconsistency and injuries in his first four years in Milwaukee, but over time became a key contributor to
3255-552: The IHL ) from 1988 to 2016. The arena employed about 50 full-time employees, mostly tradespeople, and about 700 part-time employees to help during events. Following the opening of the new Fiserv Forum in late August 2018, the Bradley Center was demolished to make way for future development. Assets from the arena, including display boards, scoreboards, equipment and sports and concert memorabilia were auctioned off. The arena opened on October 1, 1988, with an exhibition hockey game between
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3360-466: The Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from Jim Fitzgerald in 1985 for $ 18 million to ensure the team remained in Milwaukee . In 2003, he considered an offer to sell the team to former NBA superstar Michael Jordan , but decided to retain ownership. In 2013, Kohl began to bring in new partners who were committed to keeping the team in Milwaukee. Kohl agreed to sell
3465-550: The National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team , and play home games at Fiserv Forum . Former U.S. Senator Herb Kohl was the long-time owner of the team, but on April 16, 2014, a group led by billionaire hedge fund managers Wes Edens and Marc Lasry agreed to purchase a majority interest in
3570-586: The People's Republic of China and free trade with some of the developing world . Kohl voted against authorizing the Gulf War in 1990. He voted in 2002 to authorize military force in Iraq . Kohl voted on a number of occasions with more liberal Democrats to reduce military spending, voting against 1996 defense appropriations increases and supporting a veto of funding new military projects. Despite having been among
3675-507: The Seattle SuperSonics . Under the leadership of Karl and general manager Ernie Grunfeld , and with the steady addition of talent such as Tim Thomas and Sam Cassell , the Bucks developed into an elite team in the Eastern Conference. The nucleus of the "big three"—consisting of Ray Allen , Cassell, and Robinson—along with Karl, created a successful renaissance era in Milwaukee. The team reached its zenith in 2000–2001, winning 52 games and their first division title in 15 years. The Bucks reached
3780-408: The U.S. Constitution to require a balanced budget . He was one of the few Democrats to vote for the tax cut passed in 2001, and he also supported the elimination of the " marriage penalty ". Despite these views, he was seen as generally supportive of progressive taxation . Like many moderate Democrats, he voted in favor of the welfare reform measures in the mid-1990s. He was also not opposed to
3885-571: The U.S. Senate in 1988 . Kohl ran for the seat and faced Tony Earl , Ed Garvey , and Doug La Follette in the Democratic Party primary election. Kohl won the nomination and defeated Republican Susan Engeleiter in the general election. He was reelected in 1994 against Robert Welch , in 2000 against John Gillespie, and in 2006 against Robert Lorge. On May 13, 2011, Kohl announced he would not run for re-election in 2012, saying, "The office doesn't belong to me. It belongs to
3990-627: The Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007. On July 22, 2021, Kohl was the key figure of the lead car in the Milwaukee Bucks NBA Championship parade. On the event, he said: "This is one of the big days of my life." Kohl attended the Bucks' 2021–22 season opener at Fiserv Forum and was presented with a Bucks championship ring for his efforts in keeping the Bucks in Milwaukee. Kohl died on December 27, 2023, at age 88, at home in Milwaukee, following
4095-404: The death penalty . He favored affirmative action and supported setting aside funds for women and minorities. Although he voted in favor of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act , Kohl rejected the proposal to amend the U.S. Constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman and supported measures that ban discrimination based on sexual orientation . Kohl consistently voted against
4200-659: The flag desecration amendment . In 2005, Kohl secured a victory for one of his main causes: requiring handguns to be sold with child safety locks . The amendment was attached to the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act , with every Democrat and many Republicans voting in favor of the amendment. Earlier in his career, he helped push the Gun-Free Schools Act which the U.S. Supreme Court overturned in 1995 and submitted many amendments to that effect. He
4305-562: The #6 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, and lost in the opening round to the Toronto Raptors, 4–2. On May 23, 2017, Bucks general manager John Hammond stepped down to become general manager with the Orlando Magic . On January 22, 2018, the Bucks fired Jason Kidd , who had a 23–22 record in the 2017–18 season. In Kidd's three and a half seasons as head coach, the Bucks had a regular-season record of 139–152 and reached
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4410-502: The 2001 Eastern Conference Finals by defeating the Charlotte Hornets. They lost the Eastern Conference finals in seven games to the 76ers. This era became known for many Bucks fans as the "Let It Fly" era, due to the high-scoring offense of the team, personified by the shooting of Robinson and Allen. After coming within one game of an NBA Finals appearance in 2001, the Bucks sought to make key off-season player additions to put
4515-465: The 98 U.S. senators who voted for the PATRIOT Act , Kohl subsequently opposed this legislation and voted to require warrants for wiretapping or the detention of prisoners. Kohl was the wealthiest resident of Milwaukee, the richest Jewish American from Wisconsin, and one of the wealthiest U.S. senators . In 2016, Forbes estimated Kohl's net worth to be $ 630 million. Kohl was elected to
4620-425: The Bradley Center were sold to BMO Harris Bank , a division of Bank of Montreal . BMO Harris had merged with Milwaukee-based M&I Bank a year earlier. After the heirs to the Bradley fortune gave their approval, the arena was renamed the "BMO Harris Bradley Center". For most of the 1990s, the Bucks franchise was mired in mediocrity under coaches Frank Hamblen , Mike Dunleavy , and Chris Ford . They would make
4725-673: The Bradley Center's lifetime, and the latter was replaced by the Chase Center in San Francisco in 2019. The donation from the Pettits did not include provisions for the building's long-term capital needs or annual operating expenses. While the facility was self-sufficient, its tenants had been at a disadvantage compared with other NBA teams due to the arrangement in the arena's later years. For several years, former Bucks owner and former U.S. Senator Herb Kohl proposed constructing
4830-614: The Bucks beat the Atlanta Hawks 107–77 for their 15th win, matching their win total of the previous season just 30 games in. The Bucks then went on a stretch from January 24 to February 20, where they went 10–2. The Bucks beat the Sacramento Kings on February 11 for their 30th win of the year, and also became the first-ever NBA team to double their win total from the previous season before the All-Star Break. Off
4935-416: The Bucks had three first-round picks and drafted Kent Benson , Marques Johnson and Ernie Grunfeld . Johnson would become a staple in the Bucks for years to come. Rookie Sidney Moncrief made his debut in 1979. Don Nelson went on to win two NBA Coach of the Year awards with the Bucks, both during seasons where the team won division titles, in 1983 and 1985. On October 18, 1977, Abdul-Jabbar, playing with
5040-406: The Bucks only had four players on their roster from the previous season. The season itself was a struggle, as the Bucks finished with the worst record in the league at 15–67, the worst record in team history. On April 16, 2014, long-time Bucks owner Herb Kohl agreed to sell a majority interest of the team to New York-based billionaires Wes Edens , and Marc Lasry for $ 550 million, but Kohl retained
5145-481: The Bucks then lost in game seven, and did not return to the NBA Finals until 2021. As the 1974–1975 season began, Abdul-Jabbar suffered a hand injury and the Bucks got off to a 3–13 start. After his return, other injuries befell the team, sending them to the bottom of their division with a 38–44 record. When the season ended, Abdul-Jabbar announced that he no longer wished to play for the Bucks and wanted to play in
5250-408: The Bucks to New York–based billionaires Wes Edens and Marc Lasry for $ 550 million on April 16, 2014. In his ownership, the Bucks went through six head coaches, which started with Don Nelson , who resigned in 1987 after his relationship with Kohl deteriorated. The Bucks never reached the NBA Finals under Kohl's ownership. Incumbent William Proxmire , a Democrat, did not seek reelection to
5355-414: The Bucks' colors were forest green, deep red and white. In 1978, they added various shades of green to the uniforms, and in 1985, they eliminated red from the team colors. Noteworthy for the 1980s Bucks is that in 1983 they became the first, and until 2003 , only team in NBA history to sweep the Boston Celtics in a best-of-seven playoff series, being the first team to meet and defeat Michael Jordan in
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#17327807769005460-473: The Bucks' resurgence during the late 1990s. At the 1998 NBA draft , the Bucks made a trade that would come back to haunt them for years. At the draft, the Bucks selected Dirk Nowitzki with the ninth overall pick, but traded him to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Robert Traylor . Many rank this as one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history, as Nowitzki would go onto a 21-season career with
5565-495: The Bucks. In 2006, the team finished 40–42, last in their division, 24 games behind Detroit, but still made the playoffs in a season where every team in their division did. They were paired as the eighth seed versus the 64–18 conference-leading Pistons. They won game three at home, but lost the other four in a 4–1 series loss. Also in March, the Bucks announced that they would not renew general manager Larry Harris 's contract, which
5670-489: The Bucks. Karl's tenure also ended after the season. Within a one-year period, the team had lost the coach and players most responsible for the team's success during that era. Under the direction of new general manager Larry Harris , the Bucks struggled with inconsistency and injury for the next six years. During that period, they reached the playoffs twice, first under coach Terry Porter in 2004 and then under Terry Stotts in 2006 . In both instances, they were defeated by
5775-524: The Celtics, 97–86, on April 26, 2018. The arena's final public event was a Bon Jovi concert on April 29, 2018, while the arena's final overall event was the annual meeting of Northwestern Mutual Life 's agents and beneficiaries from July 20 through July 24, 2018, concluding with a private concert by the Zac Brown Band . On September 18, 2013, then-deputy NBA commissioner Adam Silver toured
5880-402: The Charlotte Hornets 89–79 to clinch only the third winning season for the Bucks since 2001. The team finished the 2016–17 regular season with a 42–40 record. Giannis Antetokounmpo made history, becoming only the 5th player in NBA history to lead his team in all five major statistical categories, and was the first in NBA history to finish in the top 20 in the league in each category. The Bucks were
5985-558: The Democratic presidential candidate for the first time since 1964. And during the presidential nominating contest, Wisconsin's Democratic state primary had emerged as one of the pivotal contests in selecting a nominee. Shortly after the 1976 election, Kohl announced he felt that he had accomplished enough as chairman and was ready to step down. He ultimately remained in office until the June 1977 state party convention. Kohl purchased
6090-412: The Lakers, punched Benson during a game. Abdul-Jabbar broke his hand in the process. Benson had been aggressive under the boards and Abdul-Jabbar, a martial arts blackbelt , snapped. Abdul-Jabbar was fined $ 5,000 by the NBA and missed the next 20 games. Meanwhile, Benson never played as aggressively again and the Bucks traded him to the Detroit Pistons in 1980 for veteran center Bob Lanier to fill in
6195-593: The Mavericks, winning a championship in 2011 while being named Finals MVP in the process, along with winning the NBA MVP award in 2007. Meanwhile, Traylor would spend just two seasons with the Bucks before joining the Cleveland Cavaliers . After the franchise's 25th anniversary in 1993, the Bucks overhauled their logo and uniforms. The colors were green, purple, and silver. The old logo, which featured
6300-668: The Mega Powers of Macho Man Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan disbanded, setting up a match between the two stars at WrestleMania V . Shortly thereafter, WWE's ratings fell and they began using the smaller MECCA for shows. In the early 2000s, WWE returned to the Bradley Center for pay-per-views No Way Out (2002) , which saw the debut of the NWO, Taboo Tuesday (2004) , Elimination Chamber (2012) , and Fastlane (2017) . The Bradley Center also regularly hosted episodes of Raw and SmackDown . The BMO Harris Bradley Center also played host to
6405-402: The Miami Heat. In the same game, however, Parker tore his ACL for the second time in 3 seasons, ending his season. Even so, Middleton's return still sparked a turnaround in March. During the month, the Bucks went 14–4, putting the team back in the thick of the playoff race. On April 8, 2017, the Bucks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 90–82, clinching the Bucks a playoff spot. On April 10, the Bucks beat
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#17327807769006510-410: The Milwaukee Bucks selected point guard Brandon Jennings , who had not gone to college but played in Italy the previous year. Midway through the season, Bucks' general manager John Hammond traded Hakim Warrick to the Chicago Bulls , and acquired John Salmons . In a Bucks uniform, Salmons averaged a team-leading 19.9 points per game. The play of Jennings, along with the improvement of Andrew Bogut,
6615-419: The Milwaukee community. The Bucks finished the 2014–15 season with a 41–41 record. Their 26-game improvement from the previous season was the second-highest in franchise history. The Bucks made the 2015 NBA playoffs as the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference, where they faced the Chicago Bulls in the first round, losing in six games. On July 6, 2015, Bucks president Peter Feigin stated if public funding for
6720-405: The NBA to give an ultimatum to Edens and Lasry–unless the Bucks were either close to getting a new arena or actually opening a new arena by the 2017–18 season, Edens and Lasry would be required to return the franchise to the league, which would sell it to prospective ownership groups in Las Vegas and Seattle . On July 1, 2014, the Milwaukee Bucks secured the coaching rights for Jason Kidd from
6825-465: The NBA's Most Valuable Player while playing for the Bucks, for a total of five MVP awards. They both are also the only players to win Finals MVP for the franchise. The Bucks are the only NBA team to have won a championship in both the Eastern and Western Conference. On January 22, 1968, the NBA awarded a franchise to Milwaukee Professional Sports and Services, Inc. (Milwaukee Pro), a group headed by Wesley Pavalon and Marvin Fishman. A fan contest
6930-437: The NCAA Frozen Four finals in 1993, 1997 and 2006 and the Great Midwest Conference men's basketball tournament in 1995. The Bradley Center was a host site for second and third-round games in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament in 1992, 1996, 1999, 2004, 2010, 2014, 2017. The Bradley Center was host to World Wrestling Entertainment events since February 1989 (then WWF) when it hosted The Main Event II , where
7035-509: The Year Michael Carter-Williams , Miles Plumlee , and Tyler Ennis . The Bucks also lost expected superstar Jabari Parker to a season-ending knee injury on December 15 in a game against the Phoenix Suns. On January 25, the NBA passed the ' Jay-Z Rule', prohibiting ownership groups from consisting of more than 25 individuals, and also mandating that no ownership interest in a team be smaller than 1%. Both Lasry and Edens had sold chunks of Bucks ownership to family, friends, and prominent members of
7140-506: The arena and found it unbefitting of an NBA team. Silver said that the building was a few thousand square feet short of NBA standards, and also lacked numerous amenities. The NBA issued a mandate requiring the Bucks to relocate, or be close to completion of a new facility by 2017. On April 16, 2014, Bucks' owner Herb Kohl announced an agreement to sell the franchise to New York City hedge-fund investors Marc Lasry and Wesley Edens. The deal included provisions for $ 100 million each from Kohl and
7245-457: The arena's close proximity to adjacent buildings, including the Fiserv Forum and the historic Turner Hall , the arena was deconstructed over a period of nine months. The Bucks still own the Bradley Center site for future development. Exterior demolition of the arena began in the spring of 2019, starting at the northwest corner of the structure. Demolition contractors used explosives to cut the steel structure, but not enough to trigger an implosion of
7350-436: The bonds until 13 years thereafter. On July 9, 2015, the Bucks confirmed their signing of center Greg Monroe to a three-year, $ 50 million contract. The Bucks also announced the club's re-signing of Khris Middleton to a five-year, $ 70 million contract. On July 15, 2015, the future for the Bucks in Milwaukee was solidified after the Wisconsin State Senate voted 21–10 in favor of a proposal to use public money to help finance
7455-441: The chairmanship, and Kohl agreed. He was named interim chairman at an April 12, 1975, emergency session, and was then elected by the party's state convention delegates later that summer. Under Kohl's chairmanship, Democrats won historic victories in the 1976 election, reaching a supermajority in both chambers of the legislature for the first time since the creation of the Republican Party. Wisconsin also gave its electoral votes to
7560-584: The court, the Bucks made several changes to their roster, releasing Larry Sanders after several off-court incidents that led to multiple suspensions. On February 19, in the final minutes of the trade deadline, the Bucks became part of a 3-way deal with the Philadelphia 76ers and the Phoenix Suns, sending Brandon Knight, who was in the final year of his contract, to the Suns, and receiving reigning Rookie of
7665-440: The creation of individual, private savings accounts to supplement Social Security . Kohl generally had a pro-environmental record and was an outspoken proponent of American energy independence. He supported increased production of hydrogen cars , establishing a federal goal for reducing oil consumption by 40 percent, and disallowing oil speculation in protected areas. He voted against Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards and
7770-504: The division/conference finals for the third year in a row, but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. In 1973, they recorded their third consecutive 60-win season, the first NBA team to do so, but injuries resulted in an early playoff exit. The Bucks were back in the 1974 NBA Finals against the Celtics. In game six of the series, Abdul-Jabbar made his famous " sky hook " shot in a classic double-overtime victory. However,
7875-522: The eighth seed, where they were quickly swept 4–0 by the reigning, and eventual champions, the Miami Heat . Jim Boylan was relieved of his coaching duties and ex-Atlanta Hawks coach Larry Drew was hired. On June 27, 2013, the Bucks chose Greek forward Giannis Antetokounmpo with the 15th overall pick of the 2013 NBA draft . They also brought in O. J. Mayo , Carlos Delfino , Zaza Pachulia , and Gary Neal as well as seeing Monta Ellis opt-out of
7980-507: The entire arena due to the nearby presences of Turner Hall and the Journal Sentinel building. On January 13, 2019 the roof of the Bradley Center was imploded. The final standing part of the Bradley Center was felled on May 31, 2019. Bucks officials state that redevelopment of the Bradley Center site would not start until after the 2020 Democratic National Convention takes place. As of August 2020, due to COVID-19, redevelopment of
8085-418: The failure of Sportsvue , a pioneering regional sports network–a failure that came in part because Milwaukee itself was not wired for cable. By then, Milwaukee Arena was the smallest arena in the NBA, and the city did not want to build a new one. Milwaukee businessman and future U.S. Senator Herb Kohl bought the Bucks after fears that out-of-town investors could buy the team and move it out of Milwaukee. Before
8190-407: The final year of his contract. The Bucks also agreed to sign-and-trade Brandon Jennings to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Brandon Knight , Khris Middleton , and Viacheslav Kravtsov . The Bucks later extended their contract with Larry Sanders with a four-year, $ 44 million contract and traded Ish Smith and Kravtsov to the Phoenix Suns for Caron Butler . By the start of the 2013–14 season,
8295-616: The first UFC event in Wisconsin : UFC Live: Hardy vs. Lytle on August 14, 2011. UFC 164 was also held at the arena on August 31, 2013. The Jerry Garcia Band played the Bradley Center on November 28, 1991, a show that was later released as Garcia Live Volume Eight . Early auditions for the tenth season of American Idol were held at the arena on July 21, 2010 with 10,000 people auditioning. Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee . The Bucks compete in
8400-412: The first round of the NBA playoffs in the 2014–15 and 2016–17 seasons. Bucks' assistant coach Joe Prunty was announced as Kidd's replacement on an interim basis for the rest of the season. Prunty finished the season with a 21–16 record, leading the Bucks to an overall 44–38 record, their best since the 2009–10 season. Seeded seventh in the 2017–18 Eastern Conference playoffs, the Bucks lost the series to
8505-477: The floor itself rather than a static image of a sponsor or team logo. On May 21, 2012, the Bucks' then-owner Herb Kohl and representatives from BMO Harris Bank announced that the bank had officially purchased the naming rights for the Bradley Center, and it would now be called the BMO Harris Bradley Center . The last game at the Bradley Center was an NBA playoff game won by the Bucks over
8610-468: The hole left by the departure of Abdul-Jabbar. They then won the Midwest Division title in 1980. After losing to Seattle in the semi-finals, the Bucks moved to the Eastern Conference 's Central Division . There, they would win six straight division titles and have .500 seasons for the next 11 years. Within those years, the Bucks became perennial Eastern Conference contenders, primarily due to
8715-537: The improved Ersan İlyasova , and the Salmons trade, catapulted the team to be a playoff contender. At the beginning of the season, the Bucks had low playoffs expectations; they had not been in four years. In October, the Bucks quickly fell behind the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Central Division, but Milwaukee ultimately clinched a playoff berth on April 6, 2010, with a road win over the Chicago Bulls . It
8820-707: The new ownership group, for a total of $ 200 million, toward the construction of a new downtown arena. On July 15, 2015, the Wisconsin Senate approved funding for the new Fiserv Forum by a 21-10 margin, and on July 28, 2015, the Wisconsin State Assembly approved funding by a 52-34 margin. On August 12, 2015, Governor Scott Walker signed the arena spending plan at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis , Wisconsin . During
8925-717: The people of Wisconsin, and there is something to be said for not staying in office too long." Kohl has been described as having been a populist-leaning liberal . Kohl supported President Barack Obama 's health reform legislation; he voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in December 2009, and he voted for the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 . Kohl voted in favor of most lawsuit reform measures as well as for rules tightening personal bankruptcy . He long supported amending
9030-489: The playoffs only three times during the 1990s, winning only one playoff game. From 1991 through 1998, the Bucks suffered a franchise-record seven straight losing seasons. During this period, the Bucks drafted Glenn Robinson with the first overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft and in 1996 acquired rookie Ray Allen in a draft-day trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves . Both players would have prominent roles in
9135-482: The playoffs. With Bogut sidelined for the rest of the season and Stephen Jackson and head coach Scott Skiles not seeing eye-to-eye, the Bucks decided to trade both players. On March 13, 2012, 48 hours before the trade deadline, the Bucks traded Bogut and Jackson to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Monta Ellis , Ekpe Udoh , and Kwame Brown . Before the 2012 NBA draft , the Bucks sent
9240-534: The remaining $ 18 million on their own. During the summer of 2010, the arena's longtime Sony Jumbotron scoreboard was replaced with a new 3.5-million-pixel LED unit manufactured by TS Sports and Lighthouse Technologies, and was put into service in October 2010 at the start of the Admirals season. Unlike many other NBA and NHL scoreboards, the bottom panel also has an LED screen, allowing display of many images above
9345-493: The second-seeded Boston Celtics , 4–3. On May 17, 2018, the Bucks announced former San Antonio Spurs ' assistant coach and former Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer as their new head coach. On August 26, 2018, the Bucks' new arena, Fiserv Forum , opened to the public. Herb Kohl Herbert Hiken Kohl (February 7, 1935 – December 27, 2023) was an American businessman, philanthropist, and Democratic politician from Milwaukee, Wisconsin . He served 24 years as
9450-602: The site will likely not commence until 2021. During the Bucks' run to the NBA Finals in 2021, the Bradley Center site was used as part of the viewing parties in the Deer District for the Bucks' playoff games. For the Bucks' game 6 victory in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Fiserv Forum 's plaza and the Bradley Center site had over 65,000 fans in total watching the game. The arena hosted
9555-427: The sixth seed and were eliminated in a seven-game series against the Atlanta Hawks . It was the farthest Milwaukee had gotten in the post-season since 2001 . The Bucks' short playoff run was also in part due to Bogut suffering a broken arm after making an awkward fall after a dunk in a late-season game, thus ending his season. In the 2010–11 season, the Bucks finished ninth in the Eastern Conference, just out of reach of
9660-561: The stock market, eventually spinning off his own company, Kohl Investments, to manage these assets. He and his brother became heirs to a family-owned chain that included 50 grocery stores and several department stores, pharmacies and liquor stores. In 1970, Kohl was named president of Kohl's and served until the corporation was sold to BATUS Inc. (formerly British American Tobacco) in 1978. After becoming prominent in Wisconsin business circles, Kohl also became involved in state politics as
9765-532: The strong play of Moncrief, Marques Johnson , Paul Pressey , Junior Bridgeman and the arrival of Craig Hodges , Terry Cummings , Ricky Pierce and Jack Sikma from trades with the Los Angeles Clippers and Seattle SuperSonics respectively. However, the Bucks were unable to make it to the NBA Finals again, being eliminated by either the Celtics or the Sixers each time. For much of the 1970s,
9870-505: The summer of 2016, the Admirals moved to the Panther Arena and the Bradley Center was modified to allow normal operation for two years while making space for the construction of the new arena to the north. The arena's icemaking plant and HVAC buildings were demolished and the arena's cooling facilities moved to a smaller facility away from the construction site. With the arena hosting no further hockey games, portable icemaking equipment
9975-793: The team from Kohl, a sale which was approved by the owners of the NBA and its Board of Governors one month later on May 16. The team is managed by Jon Horst , the team's former director of basketball operations, who took over for John Hammond . The Bucks have won two league championships ( 1971 , 2021 ), three conference titles (Western: 1971 , 1974 , Eastern: 2021 ), and 19 division titles (1971–1974, 1976, 1980–1986, 2001, 2019–2024). They have featured such notable players as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar , Oscar Robertson , Bob Dandridge , Sidney Moncrief , Bob Lanier , Terry Cummings , Glenn Robinson , Ray Allen , Michael Redd , Giannis Antetokounmpo , Khris Middleton , Jrue Holiday , and Damian Lillard among others. Abdul-Jabbar and Antetokounmpo have been named
10080-457: The team in the NBA Finals. Behind the strong encouragement of George Karl, the Bucks acquired forward Anthony Mason at the beginning of the 2001–02 season . On paper, this move made the Bucks the team to beat in the East. However, Mason battled with his weight and had a tough time finding his role. The Bucks, who at the season's midway point were the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, went into
10185-455: The trade and wanted to sell his stock. After the deal, the Bucks had several seasons in transition, but most of these players would go on to help the team. After being sold to Fitzgerald and several partners in 1976, the Bucks would enter into another era of greatness. It began with Don Nelson who became head coach in November 1976 after Larry Costello abruptly resigned. In the 1977 draft,
10290-484: The transaction was complete, broadcaster Lloyd Pettit and his wife, Jane Bradley Pettit , announced they were donating a new arena called the Bradley Center . In 2003, after considering selling the team, Kohl announced that he had decided against selling the Bucks to Michael Jordan and would "continue to own them, improve them and commit them to remaining in Wisconsin". On May 21, 2012, the naming rights of
10395-674: Was a strong supporter of public education and rejected school vouchers . Kohl voted in favor of allowing for the establishment of educational savings accounts. Kohl voted against many free trade agreements including the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and voted against the Freedom to Farm Act in 1996. He supported fast-tracked trade normalization with
10500-474: Was broken for the Bucks' new arena. On September 19, 2016, the Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo agreed to a 4-year, $ 100 million contract extension. In addition, the team would add new young improvements to the roster in drafting Thon Maker and Malcolm Brogdon , and made trades to bring in Tony Snell and Michael Beasley . When the 2016–17 season began, the Bucks were without Khris Middleton, who suffered
10605-538: Was during that time that the phrase "Fear the Deer" was coined, most likely by ESPN commentator John Anderson . It was quickly adopted on message boards and within Andrew Bogut's Squad 6. The slogan rang well with Bucks fans, who started bringing signs with the phrase to games. The slogan became the team's battle cry in the NBA playoffs. The Bucks finished the regular season with a record of 46–36. The Bucks clinched
10710-504: Was held to name the new team, with over 40,000 fans participating. While the most-voted fan entry was the Robins , named for Wisconsin's state bird, the contest judges went with the second-most popular choice, the Bucks , which was a reference to Wisconsin's official wild animal, the white-tailed deer . One fan, R. D. Trebilcox, was awarded a new car for his part in reasoning why the Bucks was
10815-402: Was rated highly by groups that desire universal health care . He voted in favor of expanding Medicare and SCHIP and desired that prescription drugs be included under federal health coverage. During his 2006 reelection campaign, Kohl advocated that HMOs be placed under more scrutiny in order to determine if they're effectively delivering care. Kohl supported abortion rights and opposed
10920-466: Was to expire in June. In April, the Bucks hired John Hammond, formerly vice-president of basketball operations for the Pistons, as their new general manager, giving the Milwaukee team a fresh director recently associated with success. Also in April, the Bucks announced that Larry Krystkowiak , the third and final head coach hired by Larry Harris, had been relieved of his duties. Scott Skiles , formerly of
11025-616: Was used for its last two ice events, the 2017 and 2018 runs of Disney on Ice . Other modifications included a temporary loading dock and trash disposal facilities on the east side of the building. Over $ 1 million in electrical equipment, luxury suite furniture, and bathroom fixtures from the Bradley Center was donated to the Local 494 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers , the Milwaukee chapter of Habitat for Humanity , and Milwaukee Public Schools . Due to
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