Bucks Zone

The story of the player known as "Mr. Buck"

This Milwaukee Bucks legend formed a deadly tandem with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1970s.

Matthew Dugandzic

The story of the player known as "Mr. Buck"
The story of the player known as "Mr. Buck" /
In this story:
Milwaukee Bucks guard Jon McGlocklin (14) in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden
Jon McGloklin / © Manny Rubio-USA TODAY Sports

Even the best player on the planet needs a dependable teammate to reach the Promised Land. Being that player that complimented his superstar teammates well was what Jon McGlocklin did in his eight-year stint with the Milwaukee Bucks.

The start of his career

The Cincinnati Royals picked the Indiana University product in the third round of the 1965 NBA Draft. McGlocklin played for two seasons with the Royals before he was left unprotected in the 1967 expansion draft and was selected by the San Diego Rockets. After one season with San Diego, McGlocklin was chosen by the Bucks in the 1968 expansion draft.

The McGloklin-Alcindor pairing

Kareem Abdul Jabbar, then known as Lew Alcindor, and Oscar Robertson starred in the Bucks' first-ever title in the 1970-71 season. But the contribution of McGlocklin cannot be underestimated as he made a perfect tandem with Abdul-Jabbar.

The six-foot-five guard made Abdul-Jabbar even harder to defend. Milwaukee was at its most dangerous when running a two-man play between Abdul Jabbar and McGlocklin.

Abdul-Jabbar was almost unstoppable down low, and when double-team came, McGlocklin was always there for the kick-out pass, and a made basket from the wings was virtually automatic.

With Abdul-Jabbar and McGlocklin, opponents were left in a pick-your-poison situation—be terrorized by the former's inside plays or get torched with the latter's perimeter shooting. McGlocklin averaged 15.8 points a game during Bucks’ first championship run.

McGlocklin accumulated 9,169 points before retiring at the end of the 1975–76 season. McGlocklin represented Milwaukee in the 1969 All-Star Game, and his #14 jersey was retired by the Bucks.

"Mr. Buck"

Even after retirement, McGlocklin was still a prominent figure in Milwaukee after joining the Bucks' television broadcast team as a color commentator, a post he has held for 45 years. He and play-by-play announcer Jim Paschke called Bucks games together for 35 years until Paschke's retirement at the end of the 2020–21 season.

He may not be the best player to don the Milwaukee jersey, but McGlocklin certainly left an indelible mark in the hearts and minds of Buck fans. The bond that McGlocklin formed with the Milwaukee organization was so strong that fans constantly addressed him as "Mr. Buck."

Published
Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.