Best player to wear each number for the Bucks, part 1 (00-24)

The Milwaukee Bucks have been playing basketball since 1968 and in that time they have issued 50 different numbers ranging from 00 to 77.

Some of these players make the list because they are among the best players in Bucks history and some make it because they were fortunate enough to wear a unique jersey number. Furthermore, a handful of really good Milwaukee players did not make the list because of a shared number with a better player (sorry Ray Allen).

The list below is the best player for each number in Bucks franchise history, based off information from basketballreference.com.

This edition covers numbers 00-24. We’ll tackle the remainder in our next installment.

No. 00: O. J. Mayo

Mayo mostly came off the bench when he was with the Bucks from 2013-16, but still managed to score 10.6 points per game for the team in that span.

No. 0: Drew Gooden

Donte DiVincenzo will probably end up as the best player to wear No. 0, but until he has more experience, the spot goes to Gooden. Gooden was good with the Bucks, recording 11.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game during his three-year stint in Milwaukee from 2010-13.

No. 1: Oscar Robertson

The Big O was an easy pick for this spot even though he only played four seasons in Milwaukee. He was an integral piece on the Bucks’ 1971 NBA championship team and made two All-Star teams with Milwaukee.

No. 2: Junior Bridgeman

Bridgeman was a constant presence on the Bucks for nine seasons from 1975-84, then returned to Milwaukee for his final NBA season in 1986-87. During his career with the Bucks, Bridgeman averaged 13.9 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.

No. 3: Brandon Jennings

There was a time when Bucks fans thought Jennings would be the next star in Milwaukee. That time feels very distant, but the flare and excitement of Jennings’ game was memorable in its own right. He scored 16.5 points and dished out 5.6 assists per game during his first stop in Milwaukee, including an exhilarating 55-point game.

No. 4: Sidney Moncrief

Known as one of the best defensive players in the NBA, Moncrief won the first two Defensive Player of the Year awards in 1983 and 1984. He also made five All-Star teams, five All-NBA teams and five All-Defensive teams.

No. 5: Eric Murdock

Murdock played just over three seasons with the Bucks from 1992-95 and ended his time in Milwaukee averaging 14 points and 6.8 assists per game.

No. 6: Andrew Bogut

After being selected No. 1 overall by the Bucks in 2005, Bogut went on to have a solid seven-year run with the franchise. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie team in 2006, made the All-NBA third team in 2009-10 after he averaged 15.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocks that season and led the league with 2.6 blocks per game in 2011.

No. 7: Ersan Ilyasova

The Turkish power forward has played nine seasons with the Bucks, although his stints with the team were broken up by stops in Spain and with other NBA teams. As a Buck, Ilyasova has averaged 9.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 36.9% from deep.

No. 8: Marques Johnson

Long before he was calling Bucks games for FOX Sports Wisconsin, Johnson was one of the best players to ever suit up for Milwaukee. He scored 21 points per game during his seven seasons with the team and made three All-NBA teams and four All-Star games as a member of the Bucks. Hey, when Michael Jordan has a poster of you, you must be doing something right.

No. 9: Michael Beasley

Did I expect to put Beasley in this spot? No, but that’s how it shook out since No. 9 is a bit thin in Bucks’ history. As a member of the franchise, Beasley scored 9.4 points per game and shot 53.2% from the field in 2016-17.

No. 10: Bob Dandridge

Dandridge was also a key contributor on the Bucks 1971 championship team and kept up his excellent play throughout the 1970s by making three All-Star games with the Bucks. He scored 18.5 points and had 7.3 boards per game in his nine-year career in Milwaukee.

No. 11: Brandon Knight

Knight was not on the Bucks for long, but he played the best basketball of his career during his season and a half tenure in Milwaukee. He averaged 17.9 points and 4.9 assists in the 2013-14 campaign and 17.8 points and 5.4 assists the next season before he was traded to Phoenix.

No. 12: Jabari Parker

Parker was once thought to be a franchise cornerstone when Milwaukee picked him with the second overall pick out of Duke in 2014. While Parker did not live up to his draft status, he scored 15.3 points per game during his four seasons with the Bucks.

No. 13: Glenn Robison

The Big Dog had a great eight-year career in Milwaukee. Robinson was a key piece in the Bucks 2001 Eastern Conference finals team, made All-Star teams in 2000 and 2001 and averaged 21.1 points and 6.2 boards in his time in Milwaukee.

No. 14: Jon McGlocklin

McGlocklin made the 1969 All-Star team in his first year with the Bucks and helped the team win the 1971 NBA championship. After scoring 19.6 points per game in his first year with the franchise, he averaged 12.4 points and shot 50.5% from the floor in Milwaukee.

No. 15: John Salmons

Salmons was traded from the Chicago Bulls to the Bucks in 2010. He remained on the team for the entirety of the 2010-11 season and became a decent player for Milwaukee by scoring 15.7 points per game while shooting 38.1% from deep.

No. 16: Bob Lanier

After an excellent career with the Detroit Pistons, Lanier was traded to the Bucks in the 1979-80 season and played four more full seasons in Milwaukee. Lanier proved he had some gas in the tank by making the 1982 All-Star Game and averaging 13.5 points as a Buck.

No. 17: Mike Dunleavy Jr.

Dunleavy Jr. played two full seasons in Milwaukee from 2011-13 and shot 41.6% from long range and scored 11.2 points per game.

No. 18: Curtis Perry

Perry was a solid contributor for the Bucks from 1971-74, averaging 8.5 points and 9.2 rebounds.

No. 19: Jerryd Bayless

Bayless mainly came off the bench in his two seasons in Milwaukee. He scored 10.4 points per game in 2015-16 and hit a game-winning buzzer-beater in the 2015 playoffs.

No. 20: Sam Cassell

He only wore No. 20 in 1999, but it is still enough for him to be the best No. 20 in Bucks’ history. From 1999-2003, Cassell had 19 points and 7.2 assists per game and helped Milwaukee advance to the 2001 Eastern Conference finals.

No. 21: Quinn Buckner

Buckner’s numbers weren’t eye-popping (10.3 ppg and 5.2 apg), but he was incredible on the defensive end, making the NBA All-Defensive second team in 1978 and from 1980-1982.

No. 22: Khris Middleton

This was a really tough choice since Michael Redd also wore No. 22. Redd averaged more points in Milwaukee, but the 28-year-old Middleton has already made two All-Star teams and has shot 39.4% from deep in his Bucks career. One could easily make the case for Redd here, but Middleton gets the slight edge.

No. 23: Ruben Patterson

Patterson played one season with Milwaukee in 2006-07 and had a positive impact on the offensive end by shooting 54.8% from the field while averaging 14.7 points.

No: 24: Richard Jefferson

After spending the first seven years of his career with the New Jersey Nets, Jefferson was traded to Milwaukee and played for the Bucks during the 2008-09 season. He played in all 82 regular-season games for the Bucks that year and scored 19.6 points per game.