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Happy 50th anniversary: The 5 greatest seasons in Milwaukee Bucks history

NBA Photos / National Basketball Association / Getty

Here's something you don't hear every day: It's party time in Milwaukee.

Monday marks the 50-year anniversary of the Bucks being awarded an NBA franchise. (Fun fact: The Bucks were nearly named the Robins, after the state bird; it was the most popular choice among fans, but was passed over in favor of the No. 2 option.)

Now that you're a little wiser than you were a few seconds ago, here's a list of the five greatest seasons in franchise history:

5. 1983-84 (50-32, .610, lost conference finals)

These Bucks were relentless on defense, limiting teams to a league-low 101.5 points per game while also leading the league in field-goal percentage against (.456) and opponent two-point success rate (46.3). Sidney Moncrief and Marques Johnson provided a potent 1-2 punch on offense, combining for 41.6 points on better than 50 percent shooting to go along with 13.2 rebounds.

The Bucks eked past the Atlanta Hawks in a five-game opening-round nail-biter before reaching their first conference final in a decade with a six-game triumph over the New Jersey Nets. But Milwaukee was no match for the powerhouse Boston Celtics, who prevailed in five games behind Larry Bird's 27.4 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists per night.

4. 2000-01 (52-30, .634, lost conference finals)

This is not only the best edition of the Bucks since the turn of the century - it's the only time in that span that Milwaukee advanced past the first round of the playoffs. Led by the talented triumvirate of Ray Allen (22.0 ppg), Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson (22.0), and Sam Cassell (18.7), the Bucks finished second in the NBA in scoring and looked good doing it.

After a four-game first-round win over Orlando, the Bucks found themselves down 3-2 to Charlotte before storming back in Games 6 and 7; The Big 3 combined for 74 points in a 104-95 win in the deciding game. But the Bucks had no answer for The Answer, as Allen Iverson averaged 30.5 points - and had 44 in Game 7 - to lead the 76ers to victory in the conference finals.

3. 1985-86 (57-25, .695, lost conference finals)

In between Coach of the Year nods, Milwaukee bench boss Don Nelson led his team back to the conference finals for the second time in three seasons. In addition to boasting its trademark stingy defense, this edition of the Bucks had plenty of scoring punch; it ranked fifth in the league in scoring average (114.5 PPG) while boasting four players who averaged 13.9 PPG or more.

And yet, the final outcome was eerily similar to what happened the last time the Bucks got this far. After sweeping the Nets in the first round and surviving a seven-game war with Philadelphia in the conference semifinals, Milwaukee had no chance against the Celtics, who outscored the overmatched Bucks by an average of 15.5 points en route to a four-game whitewash.

2. 1973-74 (59-23, .720, lost NBA Finals)

Having Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on your roster has traditionally been a good thing for most teams; this edition of the Bucks is no exception. Kareem's third of six league Most Valuable Player awards - fueled by absurd averages of 27.0 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks - led Milwaukee to its fourth straight season of at least 59 victories, and top spot in the Midwest Division.

Milwaukee looked set to win its second title in three seasons, needing just nine games to wipe out the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls in the first two rounds of the playoffs. Abdul-Jabbar was typically dominant in the finals, averaging 32.6 points and 12.1 rebounds - but he didn't get enough help, and the Celtics prevailed in an entertaining seven-game series.

1. 1970-71 (66-16, .805, won NBA championship)

A year after stunning the league with a 56-win showing in just its second season in the NBA, the Bucks put the rest of the league on notice by proving that their sophomore season was no fluke. Led by first-time MVP Lew Alcindor (in his final season before becoming Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and electrifying guard Oscar Robertson, Milwaukee paired the league's best offense with the No. 3-ranked defense to put together an incredible 66-16 record.

Yet, as dominant as Alcindor, Robertson, and the Bucks were during the regular season, they were even more ruthless in the postseason. Alcindor's 27.8 PPG average led Milwaukee to a five-game rout of San Francisco in Round 1, and the Bucks had a similarly easy time of it in the second round against the Lakers. And Milwaukee saved its best for last, sweeping the Baltimore Bullets for its first - and only - NBA championship.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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