The Milwaukee Bucks were on the top of the basketball world a few years back, having won the 2021 NBA Finals over the Phoenix Suns. Milwaukee took down the Suns in a thrilling six game series, claiming its first NBA title in a long time.
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The Bucks were led by star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who dropped 50 points in the Game 6 close-out win. Antetokounmpo was on a mission the entire series and wouldn't be denied a chance to win a title.
Despite going down 0-2 in the series to start, Milwaukee rebounded and won four straight games over the Suns. It was an epic NBA Finals and one that is remembered highly by fans everywhere.
However, in a recent NBA championship ranking, longtime sports analyst Colin Cowherd disrespected the Bucks' title run. Cowherd ranked the last seven champions in the NBA, and the Bucks came in ranked in the No. 5 spot.
Milwaukee was placed behind the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers, the 2024 Boston Celtics, the 2023 Denver Nuggets, and the 2022 Golden State Warriors. The Bucks were placed ahead of the 2025 Oklahoma City Thunder and the 2019 Toronto Raptors.
Colin Cowherd ranks the last 7 NBA Champions:
(h/t @awfulannouncing ) pic.twitter.com/OhuWgtopkO
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) June 23, 2025
Many would agree that the Lakers and Celtics teams should be ranked at the top, but the Nuggets and Warriors are both questionable. Milwaukee had defense, shooting, and Antetokounmpo, which would have been tough for any of those teams to deal with.
The Bucks went 16-7 during the playoff run, taking down the Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat, Atlanta Hawks, and finally the Suns. Milwaukee was dominant throughout, and not many could compete with them on the court.
This team deserves to at least be moved up past the 2022 Warriors in the ranking. The hypothetical matchup between this Bucks team and the 2023 Nuggets would have been interesting.
This could be a draw, with each being interchangeable in the No. 3 and No. 4 spots. But overall, this ranking is disrespectful to the championship that Milwaukee did win.
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