MBMilwaukee Bucks
MBMilwaukee Bucks has reached the nba champions decider 3 times on record, first in 1970-71 and most recently in 2020-21. 2 wins against 1 runner-up finish are recorded below, sourced from our full nba champions list.
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
MBMilwaukee Bucks — 2 nba champions (1970-71, 2020-21).
Franchise history
The NBA awarded Milwaukee an expansion franchise in January 1968. The team name was chosen through a public contest, referencing the male deer that is Wisconsin's official state wild animal. Milwaukee's rise to the top of the NBA was remarkably fast: after winning a coin flip against Phoenix for the No. 1 pick in the 1969 draft, the Bucks selected UCLA center Lew Alcindor (who converted to Islam in 1971 and took the name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), then traded for veteran guard Oscar Robertson before 1970-71.
The pairing was immediately dominant: in just the franchise's third season, the Bucks swept the Baltimore Bullets in the 1971 NBA Finals — still the fastest expansion-to-title turnaround in NBA history. After Robertson retired and Abdul-Jabbar was traded to the Lakers in 1975, Milwaukee did not return to the Finals for roughly 47 years. That drought ended with Giannis Antetokounmpo, drafted 15th overall in 2013, who won back-to-back MVPs (2019, 2020) and led Milwaukee to the 2021 title over Phoenix, scoring 50 points in the clinching Game 6.
Sources
NBA Champions won (2)
Runner-up finishes (1)
See the full nba champions list for the winner each of these years.
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