Bucks To Play Regular-Season Game At Former Home Arena In Honor Of Team's 50th Season

To honor their upcoming 50th season in Milwaukee, the Bucks will "play a regular-season home game at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, formerly known as MECCA, which was the team's first home" from '68-88, according to Matt Velazquez of the MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL. It took "about a year" for the Bucks to "turn the idea into a reality." It "involved collaboration with the Wisconsin Center District and UW-Milwaukee" as well as "demonstrating to the NBA that it had the plan and infrastructure to meet the demands of putting on a regular-season NBA game at an alternate arena." The date and opponent for the game "have not yet been disclosed." A replica of the old MECCA court on Saturday was on site at Schlitz Park for fans -- about 10,000 -- to "view and take photos with." The game "marks the first time the Bucks have hosted a regular-season game off-site in Wisconsin since they played three regular-season home games in Madison" during the '74-75 season. UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena "holds approximately 11,000 fans for basketball games, which is much lower than the 18,717 official capacity" of the BMO Harris Bradley Center. The "only ways for fans to guarantee entry to the game are by purchasing a season-ticket package or the recently-unveiled 50th Anniversary Superpass, a $500 digital ticket that guarantees access" to all '17-18 regular-season home games (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 6/11).

BIDING TIME: Bucks President Peter Feigin said that team owners "hope to get together and make a decision" about a new GM "in the next couple weeks." The AP noted the Bucks are "searching for a replacement" for John Hammond, who "left last month" to become Magic GM. With the NBA Draft on June 22, Feigin said that the organization is in "good shape" with Assistant GM Justin Zanik "overseeing draft preparation" (AP, 6/11).