Jump up and grab a seat.
As far as bandwagons go, you’re not going to find one much more comfortable than this.
We don’t do much with sports here at Valley Review. Though with the NBA hitting the final third of its regular season, it’s worth saying: if you’re not watching the Milwaukee Bucks, you’re missing out on something magical.
The best basketball team on the planet is playing just 90 minutes down the highway.
The Bucks came out of the All-Star break on Thursday with a 20-point win over the Detroit Pistons. The blowout victories have been more frequent than not.
They have the MVP. They have the best record in the league. And it still feels somewhat subdued.
Sports radio still spends more time on the Packers and there are still only a couple places in town where you can pick up a Bucks sweatshirt.
It’s time we pay attention.
I get it. NBA basketball isn’t for everyone. But there’s more than a month before the Brewers suit up for opening day. What else are you going to watch? The XFL?
Here are a few reasons to tune in and see if the Bucks grow on you.
They’re a fun group of guys and they’re easy to root for.
There’s not much for drama on the squad and there’s no player begging for your dislike. They play as a team, they get along well and seem to enjoy what they’re doing. You don’t see every team break into WWE-style pro wrestling as a pre-game ritual.
They exhibit the best ideals of sports.
Giannis Antetokounmpo displays a fairly incredible sense of humility for the best player in the game. It’s not rehearsed. It isn’t fake. And damn, it’s refreshing. When asked about their league-leading record or championship potential, he talks of the team’s need to improve. The rest of the crew follows that lead. When asked about individual stats, the players typically talk of their team play instead.
They’re having a historically good season.
The Bucks this season have a shot to become only the third team in NBA history to win 70 games in the 82-game season. Right now, they’re 47-8.
And they’re scoring an exorbitant number of points. They’ve scored at least 100 points in each game this season and in 79 straight regular season games dating to last season. As for the other side of the floor? They have the top defensive rating in the league.
Lastly, it’s what we do.
Championships haven’t arrived in the Dairyland frequently enough for the experience to get boring. When a real chance arrives, we need to put forth our support and get a little rowdy.
Put away the green and gold for a while and break out the green and cream.
If you like what you see, feel free to pretend you were there all along. Tell ‘em you suffered through the lean years. Tell ‘em you watched through the 15-win season, but held your head high knowing that a year like this one would eventually arrive.
It’ll be our little secret.
Fear the deer.
