How To Collect | The Milwaukee Bucks

Collecting the Best of the Bucks

Milwaukee’s expansion season was 1968/69, but the story of the Bucks really started with a coin flip. With Kareem and Giannis, two title teams a half decade apart, and with the two generational big men at the foundation, collectors have many options when it comes to building out a unique team collection.

Let’s get into it.

Collecting the Bucks in 2025

The Greek Freak is back, promising that the Bucks will remain a team to watch in the Eastern Conference this season. The two-time MVP and 2021 NBA Finals MVP is the crown jewel of the modern day Bucks Hobby, and he’s joined by the likes of Myles Turner, Kyle Kuzma, AJ Green, and Gary Trent Jr. in the newest release.

As Giannis goes, so go the Bucks. The superstar gets a wide array of cards in his first-ever licensed Topps NBA release. One of the leading lights of today’s Basketball Hobby, Antetokounmpo deservedly takes the throne in the All Kings insert, and other standouts include an MVP Vault card, his stylized Comic Court offering, and a Player Number Variation limited to 34 copies. A Pair of Giannis relic cards are also here to be chased.

Chase short-printed base card variations of sharpshooter Gary Trent Jr., fan favorite AJ Green, scoring wing Kyle Kuzma, and prized acquisition Myles Turner. Turner can also be found in the Own the Game insert, exclusive to Hobby and Jumbo boxes. Feeling nostalgic? Bucks cards of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are also available for collectors.

With another MVP-caliber season just waiting to happen, the debut of Antetokounmpo in licensed Topps releases throughout the season should give Bucks collectors plenty to be excited about.  

Milwaukee Bucks Mount Rushmore

When considering who to include at the top of the mountain for Milwaukee, we chose the standout stars of the Bucks’ two championship squads, as well as a true ’80s legend.

1969 Topps Basketball #25 Lew Alcindor Kareem Abdul-Jabbar RC

2023 Topps Cosmic Chrome Basketball Extraterrestrial Talent #ET8 Giannis Antetokounmpo

1980 Topps Basketball #140 Sidney Moncrief / Kareem/Abdul-Jabbar / Mike Gale

1970 Topps Basketball #100 Oscar Robertson

From Expansion to Champs in Record Time

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the most important players in all of The Hobby. An All-Time talent on the floor, and an influential figure off of it, the big man is one of the most recognizable figures in modern American history. Card Ladder registers six occasions that his cards have sold for more than $150,000, including a $204,000 sale for his 1969 Topps RC.

He’s also the man who made basketball in Milwaukee. After the Bucks won the coin flip that won his draft rights, the franchise was instantly lifted into the elite. After a 27-win expansion season, the Bucks won 56 games with their Rookie of the Year center. A title followed the very next year. Kareem won three MVPs in his first five seasons. 

Kareem won Finals MVP, but he was helped by two players who averaged over 20 points per game in the sweep over the Bullets. Four-time All-Star Bob Dandridge provided a bit of everything for the Bucks. This 1971 Topps card shows off Dandridge’s impact in the championship series.

Oscar Robertson, like Kareem, is also an all-time talent. After a preposterous decade with Cincinnati, where he posted some of the gaudiest numbers in league history, he joined forces with Kareem and Dandridge, providing veteran experience and fantastic ability to control on offense. The days of averaging a triple-double were over, but Oscar wanted a ring, and he was key in helping the Bucks get it done.

Like Kareem, Robertson’s 1969 Topps card is highly coveted, selling for as much as $186,000 through Fanatics Collect in 2023. All three Bucks champions had their numbers retired by the franchise and are key parts of any Bucks team collection.

Giannis Lifts Bucks Back to the Top

50 Years later, Milwaukee was back on top, again thanks to the exploits of the best big man in the league. This time, it was Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the way.

After falling behind 0-2 to Phoenix (the team Milwaukee came into the league with), the Bucks stormed back to win the title in six games, with Giannis scoring 50 points in the closeout win. The Greek Freak appears in Topps Chrome Basketball and will certainly be a major player in future Topps releases.

Giannis teamed up with Jrue Holiday, Kris Middleton, and Brook Lopez to lead Milwaukee to its first title in half a century, and all of his running mates are here for the chasing as well, with solid options including Topps Chrome refractor RC’s of Holiday and Lopez. A BGS 9 version of Holiday’s 2009 Topps Chrome RC numbered to 999 sold for $70 in March 2025.

Bucks Fan Favorites

In the 50 years between titles, Milwaukee saw plenty of exciting teams and players. Ray Allen, one of the smoothest ballers to ever hit the hardwood, with perhaps the purest jump shot ever seen, belongs right at the top of the list.

While he would go on to win titles elsewhere, Allen’s electric start to his Hall-of-Fame career is certainly worth capturing in a Bucks collection. His most valuable Topps card can be found in the iconic 1996 Topps Chrome Basketball set, as part of a loaded rookie class that includes Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson. The Refractor is one of Allen’s most valuable cards, selling for as much as $69,000 in 2022.

Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson brought a jolt of energy to the organization as the top overall draft pick in 1994, eventually teaming with Allen and point guard Sam Cassell and going on to reach the 2001 Eastern Conference Finals, losing a classic seven-game tilt against Allen Iverson and the Sixers.

Longtime Bucks player and 2004 All-Star Michael Redd is a worthy and affordable addition to any Bucks collection as well. His 2003 Gold Refractor numbered to 99 is a great option for fans of the sharpshooting guard.

For a playback from way back, the beloved player and personality Marques Johnson is a perfect fit for Bucks collectors. The 1977 National College Player of the Year and a five-time All-Star, his number hangs in the rafters in Milwaukee. He’s still a part of Bucks culture, featuring as an analyst on Milwaukee games. In 2018, he won a Midwest Regional Emmy for his work.

Sidney Moncrief, listed on our Mount Rushmore above, is also a must-have for Bucks team collectors.

Capturing History Your Way

Milwaukee joined the league and hit the ground running with one of the very best players the sport has ever seen. Around Kareem, a champion was built, and while it took a while to get back to the top, the Bucks have been an entertaining team with a proud fanbase for a long time now.

The stars and teams that came and went from Kareem to Giannis, as well as those two proud championship groups, give team collectors plenty to chase when it comes to the Bucks.

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