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MILWAUKEE - The Milwaukee Bucks announced Bob Wanek, the team's longtime official scorer and crew chief, has died.
What they're saying:
In a statement on Wanek's passing, the Bucks said:
"Bob was a mainstay in his scorer’s table seat at Bucks games at the Milwaukee Arena, Bradley Center and Fiserv Forum for more than 50 years. He befriended countless players, coaches, officials, broadcasters and staff during his extraordinary tenure, and always did so with a smile.
"Bob took great pride in his meticulous score-keeping and in-depth knowledge of the NBA rule book. He considered the Bucks as his second family.
"The Bucks will always appreciate Bob for his long dedication to the organization. Our deepest condolences go out to his family, friends and fellow stats crew members."
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The backstory:
FOX6 News spoke to Wanek in 2017 about "the court that made Milwaukee famous." The floor at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, formerly known as the MECCA, was replicated for a Bucks-Celtics game that season.
Wanek said he used to have to use a payphone to call in the score to New York from the MECCA, then mail the official stats to each team each night.
The Bucks played at the MECCA from their inaugural season in 1968 until they moved to the Bradley Center in 1988.
The Source: FOX6 News referenced a statement from the Milwaukee Bucks, as well as a prior story involving Wanek, for this report.
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