New Books in Popular Culture Jordan Treske, "Building the Milwaukee Bucks: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Oscar Robertson, and the Rapid Rise of an NBA Franchise, 1968-1975" (McFarland, 2025)
Apr 9, 2026
Jordan Treske, author and historian of Milwaukee Bucks lore, walks through the franchise’s lightning-fast birth and rise. He recounts the coin flip that landed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Oscar Robertson trade that pushed the team to a title, Larry Costello’s coaching impact, and why Milwaukee’s 1971 championship resonated beyond basketball. He also traces Kareem’s complicated relationship with the city and why sustained dominance never followed.
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Local Fan Origin Shaped The Book
- Jordan Treske describes growing up near Milwaukee and first becoming a Bucks fan during the 2001 Ray Allen/Glenn Robinson era.
- He connects that youthful entry point to a broader Wisconsin sports culture with an inferiority complex that shaped his interest in the Bucks' unlikely rapid success.
Founders Filled A Post-Braves Void
- Milwaukee's earlier pro teams (Hawks, Braves) left a shadow that founders Marvin Fishman and Wesley Pavalon had to overcome to re-establish pro sports.
- Treske details Fishman's push after the Braves' 1965 departure and Pavalon's financial role securing the Bucks' $2M expansion fee.
Timing Made Kareem Possible
- The Bucks' entry in 1968 perfectly positioned them to win the Kareem coin-flip in 1969 and transform the franchise overnight.
- Jordan Treske shows Milwaukee consciously pursued a strategy of short-term losing to secure a franchise-altering draft opportunity for Lew Alcindor (Kareem).
