1971 Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee landed Alcindor in 1969 and traded for Robertson in 1970, and the jump was immediate. The Bucks won 66 games, ripped off a 20-game winning streak, and finished with the best record in the league.

Alcindor averaged 31.7 points a game, the league's best, and added 16 rebounds while shooting nearly 58 percent. Robertson, past his Cincinnati prime but still precise, chipped in close to 20 a night and ranked third in assists. Bob Dandridge gave them a third scorer at the forward spot, and Jon McGlocklin spaced the floor.

The playoffs were close to a formality. Milwaukee beat the Warriors and the Lakers in five each, then swept the Baltimore Bullets in the Finals. Alcindor won Finals MVP to go with his regular-season award.

This was the first NBA title for a team from the Midwest, and it came faster than any expansion club had managed. Milwaukee would not win another until 2021, a 50-year gap.

The league was smaller than it is today, but the 1971 playoffs still required beating the best teams in the division and then the other side of the bracket. Title paths from this era are shorter on paper than a modern run, yet the Finals still decided the champion.

Looking back, in only their third season, the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks went 66-16 and swept the Baltimore Bullets to win the title. Lew Alcindor, soon to be Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, led the league in scoring and took both MVP awards. Oscar Robertson, finally on a winner at 32, ran the backcourt and never had to wait again.

The starting five was Oscar Robertson, Jon McGlocklin, Bob Dandridge, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Greg Smith. Larry Costello coached the group with Bob Boozer as the primary bench scorer.

The full roster ran deeper than the headline names. Role players who mattered included Lucius Allen (key reserve guard and Alcindor's UCLA teammate); Dick Cunningham (backup center); McCoy McLemore (frontcourt reserve).

By 1971 the NBA had expanded nationwide and the Finals were a national television event. The Milwaukee Bucks title run still required winning the East or West bracket, then taking the championship round.

The Milwaukee Bucks share a lineage with other banners from 2021. Compare those seasons on the franchise hub to see how the roster and style changed between title runs.

Looking back, in only their third season, the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks went 66-16 and swept the Baltimore Bullets to win the title. Lew Alcindor, soon to be Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, led the league in scoring and took both MVP awards. Oscar Robertson, finally on a winner at 32, ran the backcourt and never had to wait again.

For the full roster beyond the featured starters, see the table on this page. For other Milwaukee Bucks titles, use the franchise hub linked below.