- As the Bucks won Game 4 of the
NBA Finals Bucks fans emphatically chanted "Bucks in 6!" - The chant stems from a bold prediction made by Bucks guard Brandon Jennings in 2013.
- Jennings and the 2013 Bucks were swept, but his words continued to serve as a rallying cry.
After dropping the first two games of the NBA Finals, the
Down 0-2 in the series, the Bucks needed to win both games at home as the series returned to Milwaukee to even the series and take things back to Phoenix tied 2-2.
Milwaukee won Game 3 in dominant fashion. Game 4 was a nail-biter, but the Bucks pulled it off, and as they did, fans celebrated with one simple, emphatic chant: BUCKS IN SIX. BUCKS IN SIX. BUCKS IN SIX.
-Fiserv Forum (@FiservForum) July 15, 2021
The chant fits the bill for the Bucks right now, as they are two games away from winning the series 4-2 and taking the title. But rather than a cheer for the moment, "Bucks in Six" has a history that goes back nearly a decade.
Heading into the 2013 postseason, Bucks guard Brandon Jennings was asked about the confidence he had in his team moving forward.
Realistically, the Bucks' chances weren't great, as they were set to take on LeBron James and the top-seeded Miami Heat in the first round. But Jennings was unphased by the challenge LeBron and the rest of Miami's big three represented.
"I'm real confident," Jennings said ahead of the series. "I'm sure everybody is writing us off, but I see us winning the series in six."
The sentiment was echoed on the team's Twitter account.
-Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 19, 2013
Unfortunately, Jennings' prediction did not come to fruition, as the Heat swept through the Bucks in four games, all of which were decided by double digits.
But while the Bucks lost the series, the branding stuck, and the defiant chant of "Bucks in Six" began to grow.
The chant received newfound life in 2018, when Jennings, back with the Bucks as a reserve, revisited the quote to explain the thinking behind his bold claim.
"I mean, Bucks in six. What else am I supposed to say? We're going to lose, and we're going to get swept?" Jennings said. "You're supposed to go into the playoffs with confidence. Especially playing the Miami Heat, the number one team in the East. We definitely had nothing to lose.
"Bucks in six, always," Jennings concluded. "That's for the culture."
-Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) February 22, 2018
Since Jennings first called his shot, Bucks fans were behind him.
Bucks in six, always.
Ironically, between the time the chant began in 2013 and the 2021 playoffs, the Bucks have not won a playoff series in six games.
That changed in the conference finals when Milwaukee bested the Atlanta Hawks in six games to seal their spot in the NBA Finals.
Now tied with the Suns 2-2, the Bucks are two wins away from making the dream a reality.
Bucks in six, always.