Brandon Jennings Says Milwaukee Bucks Will Retire Jerseys Of 6 Active Players

Getting your jersey retired by a team is one of the greatest honors bestowed upon a player, and Brandon Jennings believes six active ones would get their jerseys retired by the Milwaukee Bucks.

"Bucks - Giannis, Middleton, Brook, Holiday, Bobby Portis Jr., Dame?"

Jennings was listing various players here whom he believes could get their jerseys retired in the future, but it was his picks for the Bucks that drew a lot of attention. While no one would argue on Giannis Antetokounmpo and very few would on Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, the rest were quite debatable. 

Damian Lillard could potentially have his jersey retired based on how long he stays and the kind of success he has, but Brook Lopez and Bobby Portis don't exactly strike you as players good enough to have their numbers retired. Upon getting some backlash for those picks (Portis in particular), Jennings issued a strong response.

"A 50-year drought and y'all tripping bout them names going in the rafters!!! Watch out. It’s a whole new culture."

Lopez and Portis played their part when the Bucks ended their 50-year title drought by beating the Phoenix Suns in the 2021 NBA Finals. Lopez averaged 13.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game during that playoff run while Portis put up 8.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game.

They obviously were just role players, but did come up big in critical moments during that run. Lopez's case would also be bolstered by the fact that he has been in contention for Defensive Player of the Year during his time with the franchise.

Would that still be enough to get a jersey retired? I have some doubts about that. Maybe if these two spend a few more seasons with the franchise and win another championship, then they'd have a strong case.

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Which Jerseys Have The Bucks Retired?

The Bucks have retired 10 jerseys in total over the years and there are some big names in there. The legendary Oscar Robertson (1) was the first to have his number retired in 1974 and since then, he's been joined by Junior Bridgeman (2), Sidney Moncrief (4), Bill Russell (6), Marques Johnson (8), Bob Dandridge (10), Jon McGlocklin (14), Bob Lanier (16), Brian Winters (32), and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (33).

Every player there except for Russell, who had his jersey retired league-wide after his passing in 2022, and Bridgeman made an All-Star team during their time with the Bucks. 

Bridgeman was the sixth man for much of his time in Milwaukee, like Portis, but he did average double-digits in points for eight straight seasons. He also retired as the franchise's all-time leader in games played with 711 and was only passed by Giannis last year. 

So, while he never made an All-Star team for the Bucks like Lopez and Portis, I'd say his case was a lot stronger. Ultimately, this will just come down to what the organization thinks.

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Jennings' Other Picks For Jersey Retirements

As for the rest of Jennings' picks, there were some interesting selections there as well.

You could maybe argue against Kawhi Leonard and Paul George for the Los Angeles Clippers, but they might get it.

It is rather debatable whether Gilbert Arenas or Baron Davis deserve to have their jersey retired. LaMelo Ball, meanwhile, might have a case if he stays with the franchise long-term. A name that Jennings missed here was Kemba Walker. When it came to his last selections, Jennings missed out on a very big name.

In case you haven't figured out who, it's Kevin Garnett. He doesn't have his jersey retired by the Minnesota Timberwolves but that's because Garnett himself doesn't want it to happen. He doesn't want to do any sort of business with their now-minority owner, Glen Taylor, but I'm guessing it will happen someday.

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