Bucks owner wants to top MJ’s Bulls and win title
MILWAUKEE — Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry on Tuesday shared a conversation he had with Michael Jordan last week in Paris, where the NBA legend was on site to witness Milwaukee’s historic 40-6 start.
“Everybody wants to be recognized for being unique and different. I mean, all these players,” said Lasry, whose Bucks defeated Jordan’s Charlotte Hornets 116-103. “When I was in Paris, I was talking to Michael about this and I said, ‘Well, what do you think? I think we’ve got a real shot at doing what you guys have done [win 70 games]. This is a really unique team.’
“And he goes, ‘Look, my advice to you is don’t focus on beating our record, focus on winning a championship.’ And I said, ‘Wow, that’s great. Thank you for that. Just so you know we’re going to focus on beating your record and winning a championship.’ I think we should do everything, but that’s me.”
Ahead of Milwaukee’s first game back in the United States against Washington on Tuesday, Lasry made it no secret that he’s looking for this Bucks team to become the third in NBA history to win 70 or more games, joining Jordan’s 1995-96 Chicago Bulls (72-10) and the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors (73-9).
“I was hoping we’d get to 80. … I know everybody’s happy at 70, but I was going for 80,” Lasry said, laughing. “When we ended up losing a couple more games, I was like, ‘Damn.’ But we’ll see. I’m the wrong person to talk to because I actually think we’re really good, we have all these capabilities, and what’s actually unique about our team is how much it’s a team. If you sort of think about it, everybody looks out for each other and everybody sacrifices for the other player. You don’t see that with a lot of NBA teams.”
NBA All-Star Weekend is Feb. 14-16 in Chicago, and Lasry is hoping the Bucks get at least three selections: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe. He thinks Brook Lopez could be a fourth. Antetokounmpo has been selected as a starter and team captain, but the reserves will not be announced until Jan. 30 when the coaches choose them.
Wizards coach Scott Brooks confirmed before Tuesday’s tipoff that he voted for another Buck.
“Middleton, I’m sure he’ll be an All-Star again,” Brooks said. “Make sure you tell him I voted for him.”