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Three NBA Arenas, All in a Row

Milwaukee Bucks arenas

We can’t think of a similar situation where three NBA arenas past, present and future were caught in the same shot, sitting side by side in the same area. But you have that with a photo of the new Milwaukee Bucks arena under construction.

The photo was posted to Twitter yesterday by the Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center, the ongoing name for the new Milwaukee Bucks arena. It was designed to showcase construction of the new arena, set to open in the 2018-2019 NBA season.

But there’s a larger significance here: this is a photo of three NBA arenas side by side by side. At the far left is UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, the former Milwaukee Arena and MECCA. The Milwaukee Hawks — now the Atlanta Hawks, and at various times the St. Louis Hawks, Tri-Cities Blackhawks (based in Moline, now considered one of the Quad Cities) — played there between 1951 and 1955. The expansion Milwaukee Bucks spent 20 years there before moving to the BMO Harris Bradley Center in 1988. And, of course, the arena to the right is the new Bucks arena.

We can’t think of any situation where three NBA arenas sat in such proximity. Downtown Detroit does have three past, present and future NBA arenas in the form of Cobo Hall (the former Cobo Arena), Joe Louis Arena and Little Caesars Arena, all related to the Detroit Pistons. (Add the Palace of Auburn Hills and the University of Detroit’s Calihan Hall to the mix and you have five Pistons venues past and present. Add the decaying Silverdome to the mix and you have six Pistons venues still standing, depending on your definition of “standing.”) But they’re not side by side. The Joe Louis Arena link is pretty tenuous, limited to one 1985 playoff game, and Calihan Hall at the University of Detroit was an alternative venue to the Olympia after the team moved from Fort Wayne.

So we think this shot is pretty historic. Of course, when the new arena is finished, any similar photo will be just as historic and probably more aesthetically pleasing. And time-dated: the BMO Harris Bradley Center is set to be torn down once the new arena opens.

Wisconsin Herd

Wisconsin Herd Logos Unveiled

In other Bucks news, the team unveiled the logo for their G-League team, the Wisconsin Herd, set to debut this fall.

The announcement was made today at Oshkosh West High School.

“The Wisconsin Herd logo embodies the fierce mindset we look to bring to the court while connecting our team to the strong brand already established by the Milwaukee Bucks throughout the state,” said Wisconsin Herd President Steve Brandes. “We’re excited to unveil our logo and to build a fan base across the Fox Valley and throughout Wisconsin.”

The stylized “M” found in the Bucks marks has been inverted to serve as a “W” in both the Herd’s primary logo as well as its secondary icon, connecting the two teams to fans in the state.

“We’re very excited to celebrate another important milestone for the Wisconsin Herd and for Bucks fans statewide,” said Milwaukee Bucks President Peter Feigin. “The Herd will be a huge benefit for the Bucks both on and off the court as we can enhance our player and staff development while further extending our brand.”

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