Back in 2021, the Milwaukee Bucks knew that they were serious NBA Championship contenders. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, and Khris Middleton formed as solid a Big Three as there was in the NBA at the time, and Milwaukee was cruising to a top-three seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets, though, were also formidable teams at the time, and each seemed better built for a prolonged playoff run than Milwaukee. As the trade deadline that season drew closer and closer, it was apparent that the Bucks needed to add a player, a veteran who could bring an edge to the team in terms of toughness and grit.
And they got one in PJ Tucker.
PJ Tucker Became a Milwaukee Bucks Fan Favorite
Tucker’s numbers from his time in Milwaukee do not necessarily jump off of the page. He averaged 2.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 19.9 minutes per contest in 20 games with the Bucks following the trade deadline.
But Milwaukee did not acquire him for his offensive prowess. Rather, they needed a player who was going to be a vocal leader on the team, someone who was not afraid to get into the faces of opponents. And Tucker certainly was that.
Of course, Tucker and the Bucks did end up winning the NBA Finals that year. His minutes per game jumped up to over 30 in the playoffs, and he was often tasked with guarding the opponents’ best scorer. His verbal altercation with Kevin Durant, then on the Nets, as well as Durant’s mother on the sidelines, has gone down in legend.
After the Championship parade in Milwaukee, Tucker joined fans on the Water Street Pub Crawl, a famous bar-hopping experience in the city. His message to fans, that “We’re Dawgs for Life,” cemented the fact that he will always be beloved by Bucks faithful.
And now they want him back.
Milwaukee Bucks Fans Want PJ Tucker Back After His Release from the Toronto Raptors
Tucker’s time with the Bucks did not last long. Following the 2020-21 season, he became a free agent and signed with the Miami Heat. After one year in southern Florida, Tucker was acquired by the 76ers and then, finally, the Los Angeles Clippers. A dispute with the Clippers, though, has kept Tucker out of game action all year.
This season, Los Angeles traded Tucker to the Toronto Raptors at the deadline, but he never suited up for them either. Toronto released him on Friday, causing many Bucks fans to call on the team to bring him back:
pic.twitter.com/mZ31DM2D0d https://t.co/3TJ1jhwJ2A
— ً (@JahGoated) February 28, 2025
Come home PJ https://t.co/GlMA743aMp pic.twitter.com/QSzDTJIrT7
— 🥤 (@34for2) February 28, 2025
Pj come back to the bucks or hang it up https://t.co/AIGm7UHkK5
— Big P. (@PjPosey2) February 28, 2025
BUCKS GO GET OUR DAWG
— Jimmy Lemke (@JimmyLemke) February 28, 2025
Bring him home pic.twitter.com/Jt2xglfyiT
— Eric Thorson (@genEricThorson) February 28, 2025
Now 39 years old, it is not likely Tucker will land with a team, especially after sitting out more than half of the season.
That being said, Tucker helped bring a title back to Milwaukee for the first time in 50 years. It is not surprising that fans will not let his legend die.
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