20 Years ago - Bucks Summer of 2005

[tonyreyes123]

That was a fun season. I remember the Redd for Nene trade rumors

[Jez2983]

Thinking about this summer brings back a memory. I was in my first year of college at Marquette (before transferring to UW). I got on Facebook, back when it was still a new thing. I added Bogut as a Facebook friend. I was not 100% sure it was the real Bogut, but what sold me was him posting some messages in Croatian.

Anyway, one night, I got a message from a classmate from MU that I did not know personally. She was an attractive woman. She told me that Bogut had been sending her messages on Facebook, and she saw we were Facebook friends, and she wanted to know if that was really him. I told her that I wasn't totally sure, and she should be careful.

Flash forward a few weeks. I'm working at Mayfair Mall in a cell phone kiosk. It wasn't uncommon to see professional athletes walking through Mayfair. So, I wasn't totally blown away when I saw Andrew Bogut approaching from a distance. But what did surprise me was seeing the attractive woman from Facebook walking alongside him, as if they were on some sort of date. She saw me and smiled sheepishly. I had to stifle laugher as they passed by.

I messaged Bogut on Facebook before I made my trip to the US, asking what I should do in Milwaukee. He was really good about it, but I remember him telling me to go to Chicago

[paulpressey25]

That was a fun season. I remember the Redd for Nene trade rumors

That was the winter of 2004-05. George Karl thought it good to reunite with Redd. Chad Ford fanned the flames over on ESPN.

We should have made that deal.

[DutchManDanFan]

Thought we could use a memory lane thread on the summer of 2005. Many of you were here as members and would love people's thoughts, both at the time and now in hindsight. It was perhaps the Bucks most epic off-season in terms of major moves made.

The Kohl era was starting to wear thin as the 2001 team imploded very quickly the next year, so 2005 brought amazing new optimism.

Highlights:

Bucks win the lottery and Bogut is #1 over Marvin. Chris Paul slips to #3 because he punched that guy in the nuts and got a bad reputation for it.

Larry Harris drafts Ersan in the 2nd round. Overlooked transaction.

At the February 2005 trade deadline, Herb Kohl cuts handshake deal to pay Michael Redd a max contract, so the Bucks don't deal him. He signs a 6-year/$90 million deal.

ZaZa signs a 4/$16mm offer sheet with the Hawks. Bucks decline to match as they've inked Dan Gadzuric to a 6/$36mm deal.

On a late Friday night during FA week, Mark Stein tosses out an ESPN.com bomb that the Bucks have signed FA Bobby Simmons to a 5/$47 million contract.

Then the big one - after holding a press conference where Larry Harris says he will "sink or swim" with Terry Porter as Bucks coach. Herb reverses course and fires Porter. We go on a coaching search where Kohl tries to lure Flip Saunders and Doug Collins but ends up with Terry Stotts.

You forgot to mention I joined RealGM that year!

[DutchManDanFan]

If only we drafted CP3 that year. That would mean lob city in Milwaukee with my hero Danny G. and his contract would be great in stead of terrible. The Magloire signing made it even worse.
Bud we'd miss all the aussie fans, so I won't complain too much.

[HKPackFan]

If only we drafted CP3 that year. That would mean lob city in Milwaukee with my hero Danny G. and his contract would be great in stead of terrible. The Magloire signing made it even worse.
Bud we'd miss all the aussie fans, so I won't complain too much.

If we had to go through the pain of 2005-2020 then so be it. We got giannis in the end and the best most magical title ever.

And ya i like having the aussies around too.

[MVP2110]

I was young so I was excited at the time for all of this. But man looking back we used the #1 overall pick on Bogut, signed Gadz to a 6 year deal, and traded a 1st for Magloire. That's so many assets on non shooting big men. And then nearly a decade later did something similar when we signed Moose, Henson, & Plumlee all to big deals

[DutchManDanFan]

Favorite memory: Game against T-Mac Orlando. Team went bananas in the 2nd quarter. TJ with a bounce pass "alley-oop" to Mason. Scored 70 points in the first half I believe which was very rare at the time, and it ended with a half court heave from Redd.

https://youtu.be/G5ilFGpOOSo?si=V_43fsR9rE637qzV
Legendary

Gads greatness in full glory!

[Dick Tate]

In 2005 I watched the Sonics lose a hard fought 2nd round series to the eventual champion Spurs.
Ray Allen had his best season (9th in MVP voting).
Howard Schultz declared his 5-year plan to be a success.
(The following summer he sold the team)