Jon McGlocklin was there before Kareem. Before Oscar Robertson. Before the championship, before the 66-win season, before Milwaukee became a basketball city in any meaningful sense. McGlocklin was one of the founding Milwaukee Bucks, a player who wore the franchise's uniform when the arena was less than full and winning meant occasionally making the playoffs. That history — being there at the beginning — is precisely why #14 belongs in the rafters.
The Founding Buck
The Milwaukee Bucks played their first game in October 1968. Jon McGlocklin was on the floor. A shooting guard from Indiana with precise mechanics and an unselfish approach, McGlocklin represented the original franchise personality — professional, disciplined, fundamentally sound. He averaged 19.6 points per game in the Bucks' inaugural season and was the team's primary scoring option before the franchise won the coin flip that brought Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Wisconsin.
In the 1971 NBA Finals, McGlocklin's floor spacing — his ability to occupy defenders on the perimeter and hit open shots when Baltimore's scheme collapsed toward Kareem — was the tactical pressure valve that kept Milwaukee's offense functional against every defensive adjustment the Bullets attempted.
The Championship Contributor
McGlocklin averaged 9.5 points per game in the 1971 Finals while shooting over 50% from the field. Those numbers are modest in isolation and essential in context. His spacing created the shooting lanes that Kareem's post dominance required. His off-ball movement meant Milwaukee's offense had a reliable outlet whenever double teams formed. He never forced the game beyond his capabilities — and in the 1971 championship system, that was the most important quality a supporting player could demonstrate.
After Basketball: Building the Community
Jon McGlocklin stayed in Milwaukee after his playing career ended, becoming one of the franchise's most dedicated community ambassadors. He co-founded the MACC Fund (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer), a Milwaukee-based charity that has raised tens of millions of dollars for pediatric cancer research. His post-playing commitment to Wisconsin positioned him as one of professional basketball's finest examples of a player whose impact extended decades beyond his last game.
Why #14 Is in the Rafters
Jon McGlocklin was present at the creation of the Milwaukee Bucks, contributed to the franchise's only 1971 championship, and spent decades giving back to the community he chose to call home. #14 honors the original Buck — the founding player, the championship contributor, and the community builder who defined what wearing a Bucks uniform means in the fullest sense of that identity.
