The Milwaukee Bucks have had a renaissance over the past couple of seasons. A team that was once deemed mediocre or forgotten about completely, is now the defending NBA champions.
For a team whose biggest claim to fame was being the home of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar nearly 60 years ago, the franchise has transformed. Now they’re the team you pick for loads of live betting action, and their fans have become known as some of, if not the best in the league. That’s what happens when a long suffering fanbase sees success.
And there’s a lot of reasons why the Milwaukee Bucks have such a dedicated, rabid and passionate fanbase. We’ll go over a few of those reasons below.
Loyalty
Loyalty in sports is easy for some and impossible for others. You want to support your home team or the team you live near, and it can be nearly impossible if they’re just, well, garbage. Bucks fans knew this about their team at some points.
As mentioned, the Bucks have always been middling, so much so that they were barely spoken about, let alone ever part of any serious playoff or championship conversation.
They were also missing something most other teams had. The Bucks never had superstars like other teams, and there was no legendary star that the fans could rally behind and that the team could work with. Yes there were all-stars like Sidney Moncrief, Ricky Pierce, Jack Sikma, Michael Redd, Glenn Robinson, Vin Baker, Ray Allen, Marques Johnson, and Terry Cummings.
Not since Kareem and Oscar Robertson teamed up had the Bucks had a player of that caliber and potential. Giannis Antetokounmpo was able to change that, and the fans reacted, being louder and more passionate than ever before. Their loyalty was tested repeatedly, and now they have the payoff they were waiting for.
Attendance
Fans show their loyalty by pitching up to games. There are fewer metrics more reliable than attendance to show how much your fans love what you are doing and how much they support you. The Bucks regularly fill seats, their fans pack out home games, and even often make trips to away games. There aren’t many franchises that can say the same. During the Bucks’ playoff runs, the attendance wasn’t just on the inside, but fans showed up in thousands to pack the Deer District, an outdoor space outside of the arena that they could gather and watch the playoff games on a huge, outdoor LCD screen.
Spending
Fans talk with their wallets; if they aren’t happy with what you are doing, they won’t buy tickets, they won’t buy jerseys, and they won’t even buy a hotdog outside the stadium. Once again, the Bucks fans are pulling through here too.
As said before, being champions helps, but this is a fan base that has been disappointed before. Instead of turning their backs on the franchise and players they love, they still put on the jerseys and get to games wherever they can.
Patience
Patience was the key for Bucks fans for a very long time. They all knew that their luck was going to change at some point, and the stars would align for them. It had happened before. After all, 1971 was a championship-winning season, and they knew they could do it again.
The fans got what they had waited so long for, and it only reinforced the idea that staying patient and trusting in the team they supported would lead to another championship. Winning title after title is excellent, but fans become complacent.
The Greek Freak
Giannis has become the leader and figurehead that the Bucks fans have been begging for, for years now. He is strong, can score, is regarded as one of the best players in the league, and has shown the fans that he is there to win championships for them.
It might be surprising that, for a player so good, he plays for a team like the Bucks and not someone like the Lakers or even the Bulls, but he calls Milwaukee home, and the fans show him love every time he steps onto the court – love he may not be able to find at another franchise.
They know failure
Nothing will bring a fanbase closer than a win after years of disappointment. Bucks fans know what failure is. Therefore they cherish success even more, and they don’t take it for granted.
They still scream and applaud every game like it is the final game for the championship. That type of passion can only be found in fans who haven’t chased glory but have now had a taste and want even more.
You could argue that some Bucks fans would say one Championship is enough, that their team has done what so many before have failed to do. The deep appreciation they have for success is almost unmatched anywhere in the league.
They look forward
Bucks fans are also incredibly good at looking forward. The season hasn’t had the best start this time around, and they know you don’t win or lose a championship spot in the first few games.
They are well aware that success takes time, and it is how you play the next game that matters, not the result of the previous one. This is the mindset that helped them win a trophy, always thinking ahead and winning the next game, not resting on their laurels.
Passion
The Bucks fans are known to be some of the loudest and most passionate fans out there. They don’t go to games to sit quietly and wait for the buzzer to sound, and they make their presence known no matter what.
Much like how the Bills Mafia are loud and brash, the herd is what keeps the team going when the chips are down, and they don’t miss a chance to show their respect and love for the players on the court.
Championship Title Comes to Milwaukee
Finally, an NBA championship win is the biggest thing to happen to the Bucks, their fans, and the city of Milwaukee as a whole for the last 50 years. It has united the state and the fans like nothing ever has before, and now everyone wants to see them do it again.
While failure made them stand firm and not give up on their team, success has proven what they all thought before; that they could do it; they could win a championship.
Some may argue that the Bucks don’t have the best fans, and they may be right, but going to a home game, listening to the cheers, and seeing the emotion on each fan’s face, will make you think it isn’t possible for there to be a better fan base anywhere else.
