It was a watershed time for the Bucks, and a seminal moment in Bucks history for a group of millennials that didn't grow up in the 70's or 80's, and didn't have the memories of watching the great Bucks teams that used to dominate those decades. For many that grew up in the 90's, the Bucks were a lovable but moribund backwater in NBA circles. That all started to change when the Bucks drafted the heralded All-American Glenn Robinson in 1994, then acquired Ray Allen a few years later on draft day. Slowly fortunes began to turn and by the end of the millennium, armed with veteran point guard Sam Cassell and a bevy of great role players, started to become a force in the Eastern Conference.
The 2001 playoffs was the seminal peak of that resurgence, and the game 7 win against the Hornets in the second round became the only crowning achievement in about a 20 year span for a franchise that had been lost in the woods long before. Unfortunately the success of that group didn't last beyond that year, but the magic of that few months remains in all of our memories.
Unfortunately, the most important performance from the most important win continues to go underappreciated, as Glenn's career in Milwaukee is looked upon still with mixed memory. A great contributor for sure, but for many a symbol of unfulfilled promise and talent. But it remains baffling to me why more don't remember and appreciate the great 4th quarter he had in game 7 of that series, the most important win. Hitting big shot after big shot down the stretch, Glenn was nearly single-handedly responsible from saving the team from a early exit. It was at that moment that all of the promise and hope for his career in Milwaukee was fulfilled. Watch below and remember, Big Dog coming up big down the stretch!