Needless to say, the Bucks had a plethora of special moments during 2021. After forming a desirable, winning culture these last couple of years behind an ever-growing loyal superstar, a complementary supporting cast, outstanding management, and a passionate fanbase, the Milwaukee Bucks finally made the most out of all the endless work and sacrifice they’ve put in to make this year a reality.
Whether it was accomplishing the ultimate goal, acquiring or signing key pieces, celebrating with the city, embracing the small market community, winning nail-biter games at the buzzer, or rising to the occasion when needed most, the Bucks certainly had an eventful 2021.
Nevertheless, it was ultimately the players that made it beyond special. General manager Jon Horst did a terrific job assembling this roster, and that was evident after watching the squad achieve glory-filled success together.
The mesmerizing greatness of Giannis Antetokounmpo captured the headlines once again by reaching a legendary level that most thought he wasn’t capable of touching.
Antetokounmpo proved his doubters wrong at last, which seemed to be a common denominator for the whole core of the franchise as Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, and head coach Mike Budenholzer all proved the doubters wrong as well.
It was clearly an inspirational and significant year for an organization without much excitement over the last few decades, so without further ado, let’s rewind the clock and dissect the top 10 memorable moments of 2021 for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Milwaukee </a>Bucks are leaving 2021 with all smiles, as it’s been a historic 12 months filled with resilience, perseverance, patience, joy, happiness, and emotional satisfaction. Before we look forward to what’s next to come in 2022, it’s time to reflect on the sensational year that this organization has endured.</p>
<h2>As the historic year of 2021 comes to a close, let’s break down the top 10 memorable moments for the Milwaukee Bucks after fulfilling glorified success.</h2>
<p>Needless to say, the Bucks had a plethora of special moments during 2021. After forming a desirable, winning culture these last couple of years behind an ever-growing loyal superstar, a complementary supporting cast, outstanding management, and a passionate fanbase, the Milwaukee Bucks finally made the most out of all the endless work and sacrifice they’ve put in to make this year a reality.</p>
<p>Whether it was accomplishing the ultimate goal, acquiring or signing key pieces, celebrating with the city, embracing the small market community, winning nail-biter games at the buzzer, or rising to the occasion when needed most, the Bucks certainly had an eventful 2021.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, it was ultimately the players that made it beyond special. General manager Jon Horst did a terrific job assembling this roster, and that was evident after watching the squad achieve glory-filled success together.</p>
<p>The mesmerizing greatness of Giannis Antetokounmpo captured the headlines once again by reaching a legendary level that most thought he wasn’t capable of touching.</p>
<p>Antetokounmpo proved his doubters wrong at last, which seemed to be a common denominator for the whole core of the franchise as Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, and head coach Mike Budenholzer all proved the doubters wrong as well.</p>
<p>It was clearly an inspirational and significant year for an organization without much excitement over the last few decades, so without further ado, let’s rewind the clock and dissect the top 10 memorable moments of 2021 for the Milwaukee Bucks.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/31/top-10-moments-2021-milwaukee-bucks/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 10 and 9 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-440037 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/31/top-10-moments-2021-milwaukee-bucks/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1066,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1329805139.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1066" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1329805139.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1329805139-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Top 10 moments of 2021 for the Milwaukee Bucks: 10. Acquiring P.J. Tucker</h2>
<p>Beginning with No. 10, acquiring P.J. Tucker was a moment that the Milwaukee Bucks will never forget. Tucker was acquired from the Houston Rockets in a trade during March that sent D.J. Augustin, D.J. Wilson, and a swap of a draft pick away, and there was no doubt that it was well worth the investment.</p>
<p>The acquisition of Tucker changed the mentality of the Bucks, igniting a “dawg” mentality approach within the locker room that proved to pay dividends for the team during the 2020-21 NBA season.</p>
<p>His relentlessness, veteran toughness, defensive prowess, and pure grit were major factors toward Milwaukee’s championship run, and if we’re being honest, the Bucks probably don’t even reach the Eastern Conference Finals without his one-of-a-kind presence.</p>
<p>P.J. Tucker <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/31/top-10-moments-2021-milwaukee-bucks/"http://hoopshabit.com/2021/06/14/milwaukee-bucks-p-j-tucker-void/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filled a void that the Bucks had needed</a> for a while. Despite his short stint, Milwaukee should always be grateful for his impactful contributions that led to the ultimate prize. Tucker will always be known as a Buck for life as well as a champion for life. Trading for him was a very important moment for the Milwaukee Bucks.</p>
<h2>Top 10 moments of 2021 for the Milwaukee Bucks: 9. Re-signing Bobby Portis</h2>
<p>In the offseason, Bobby Portis could have signed for a lucrative deal elsewhere after producing a breakout season in his first year with the Bucks, but chose to accept less in favor of staying in Milwaukee.</p>
<p>The 26-year-old forward has seems to have found a long-term home as he’s continuously praised the city, winning culture, and Bucks organization as a whole since arriving.</p>
<p>Portis <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/31/top-10-moments-2021-milwaukee-bucks/"http://hoopshabit.com/2021/06/26/milwaukee-bucks-bobby-portis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has become an influential fan favorite</a> across the fanbase, so his decision to come back was a very special moment. His impact and energy on the floor were absolutely outstanding this year, yet his loyalty and humble personality are what make Bobby a crucial part of this team and its city. Re-signing Bobby Portis had to be a top moment of 2021 for the Milwaukee Bucks.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/31/top-10-moments-2021-milwaukee-bucks/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 8 and 7 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-440039 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/31/top-10-moments-2021-milwaukee-bucks/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1347906148.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1347906148.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1347906148-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Top 10 moments of 2021 for the Milwaukee Bucks: 8. Banner and ring night on Opening Night</h2>
<p>On Tuesday, October 19th, the Milwaukee Bucks received their championship rings while unveiling the championship banner that night before kicking off the 2021-22 NBA season in a matchup against the Brooklyn Nets. The Bucks would keep the celebrations going as they dominated from start to finish in what was a thrashing 127-104 victory.</p>
<p>Everything about that night was special, whether it was the suspense leading up to the game, the ring ceremony, the second franchise banner that displayed the satisfactory words of “NBA Champions” in the rafters, the electric atmosphere, the Greek Freak dominating on both sides of the ball again, or the final buzzer that signified another classic Bucks win. It was an unbelievable moment that the Milwaukee Bucks will forever cherish.</p>
<div class="embed "><iframe width="500" height="281" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/31/top-10-moments-2021-milwaukee-bucks/"https://www.youtube.com/embed/EXrKjuHnde4?feature=oembed%22 frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<h2>Top 10 moments of 2021 for the Milwaukee Bucks: 7. Extending Jrue Holiday</h2>
<p>It was a relieving and exciting moment for the Milwaukee Bucks just to acquire star guard Jrue Holiday, but extending him in the month of April was beyond that feeling.</p>
<p>The Bucks had an itch that Holiday was the missing piece to get them over the hump of past struggles, which they ended up being right about, so it was a great sight to see a guy like that commit to the organization long-term.</p>
<p>His two-way impact is among the elite tier in this talented league, and Jrue is easily one of the best at the guard position, if not the best. Holiday helped propel Milwaukee to a title with not just his spectacular abilities on both ends of the floor, but with his leadership as well.</p>
<p>After signing the four-year extension worth up to $160 million, Jrue stated in his own words, “I’m a Buck for life.” The Milwaukee Bucks are thankful for Jrue Holiday and Jrue Holiday is thankful for the Milwaukee Bucks, so his long-term extension could be one of the top moments of the decade, in addition to this year alone.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/31/top-10-moments-2021-milwaukee-bucks/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 6 and 5 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-429363 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/31/top-10-moments-2021-milwaukee-bucks/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1319510297.jpeg" alt="Khris Middleton game-winning jumper" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1319510297.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1319510297-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images</p>
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<h2>Top 10 moments of 2021 for the Milwaukee Bucks: 6. Khris Middleton’s game-winner vs. Heat</h2>
<p>There were many incredible moments for the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2021 NBA Playoffs, but the first one involved the game-winning shot by Khris Middleton in Game 1 of the first-round matchup against the sixth-seeded Miami Heat. Middleton has made a living out of nailing buckets under pressure down the stretch, and the two-time All-Star came up clutch once again.</p>
<p>The Bucks had the ball with seconds left in overtime, holding for the last shot, and Middleton had the ball at the top of the key. Brook Lopez came to set the high screen, Middleton dribbled left, shifted back to the right, then swished the go-ahead jump shot just inside the arc over Miami’s Duncan Robinson with 0.5 seconds left to give Milwaukee a two-point lead, and eventually, the win.</p>
<div class="embed "><iframe width="500" height="281" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/31/top-10-moments-2021-milwaukee-bucks/"https://www.youtube.com/embed/NUTuIK8uwuI?feature=oembed%22 frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>It was a magnificent shot that also gained momentum the rest of the series as the Bucks would go on to sweep the Heat and take revenge from the season before. Khris Middleton delivered an electrifying moment that will be reflected upon for years to come.</p>
<h2>Top 10 moments of 2021 for the Milwaukee Bucks: 5. The Game 7 triumph over the Nets</h2>
<p>In what was one of the greatest postseason games of all time, the Milwaukee Bucks defeated the Brooklyn Nets by a matter of centimeters in Game 7 of a thrilling series during the second round.</p>
<p>The Bucks would win 115-111 in overtime to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, but the result would have been much different if Kevin Durant wore a smaller shoe size.</p>
<p>It was a crazy moment in a crazy contest that will be trenched in NBA history and remembered for ages. There was a boatload of insane sequences during the back-and-forth battle such as Jrue Holiday’s step-back three, Kevin Durant’s heroic shot-making, Giannis Antetokounmpo’s strong drive, Joe Harris’ wide-open miss, and Khris Middleton’s fadeaway dagger that were all huge turning points in the game.</p>
<p>For the Bucks to come out on top that night, it was an amazing feeling for them to say the least, especially since that was the moment that triggered the reality of being able to win it all.</p>
<div class="embed "><iframe width="500" height="281" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/12/31/top-10-moments-2021-milwaukee-bucks/"https://www.youtube.com/embed/dw71OjiNga8?feature=oembed%22 frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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