MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – On this day, Jan. 22, 1968, the National Basketball Association awarded a franchise to Milwaukee.
Although it took a few months to pick out a name, that franchise would eventually become the Milwaukee Bucks.
The NBA awarded the franchise to Milwaukee Professional Sports and Services, Inc., which was a group of Milwaukee-based investors. The group was headed by Wesley Pavalon and Marvin Fishman.
That franchise was officially incorporated a few weeks later on Feb. 5, but it took longer to figure out what the team should be called.
It wasn’t until May 22 of that year that the name Milwaukee Bucks was officially decided on.
The name was suggested by 45 people in a contest where more than 14,000 fans submitted name suggestions.
Whitefish Bay man RD Trebilcox won a new car for his suggested name of the Bucks.
While Milwaukee Bucks struggled in their first year, they would go on to win the NBA Championship just three years after their founding.
Milwaukee Professional Sports and Services owned the team until 1985, when the franchise was sold to Herb Kohl.
Click here to download the WMTV15 News app or our WMTV15 First Alert weather app.
Copyright 2026 WMTV. All rights reserved.