Long before Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton led the Milwaukee Bucks to the NBA title in 2021, there was Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson in the early 1970s. The Milwaukee Bucks of this era were wildly successful, earning trips to the NBA Finals in two of their first five years of existence. 

Capturing the success of the Bucks in the early 70s was Vernon Biever. As a contributing photographer for NBA Photos, Biever took thousands of images of the Bucks and other NBA teams visiting Milwaukee. This age of the NBA – where the hair was longer than the shorts – is on full display in Biever’s photographs, reminding fans how far the NBA has come in the last 50 years.