BUCKS TO RETIRE NUMBER 10 IN HONOR OF BOB DANDRIDGE
The Milwaukee Bucks today announced that Bob Dandridge’s jersey number 10 will be retired in a halftime ceremony of the game on March 7 vs. the Washington Wizards (7:30 p.m. tipoff). Washington is the only other city in which Dandridge played professional basketball. Fellow Bucks legends Oscar Robertson, Wayne Embry, Jon McGlocklin, Sidney Moncrief, Eddie Doucette and other special guests yet to be announced will be in attendance to celebrate the occasion.
Fifteen players have worn number 10, but no Bucks player will wear it again, as it will represent Dandridge in the rafters from here on out. It is the eighth jersey to be retired in Bucks franchise history, and the first since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 33 was retired on April 24, 1993.
“While there is infinite excitement about the future of the Bucks, it’s the rich and storied history of this franchise that makes our team so special,” said Bucks Co-Owner Wes Edens. “As a player, Bob Dandridge embodied everything we want this franchise to stand for: hard work, passion, toughness, and above all else, excellence. This honor is long overdue, and the entire organization is thrilled to finally put his number in the rafters along with the other legends who have helped shape this franchise.”
Dandridge is a four-time NBA All-Star – appearing in the midseason showcase three times as a Buck – who won two NBA Championships in his career: the first with Milwaukee in 1971 and the second with Washington in 1978. The forward was selected out of Norfolk State University by the Bucks with the second pick of the fourth round in the 1969 NBA Draft (45th overall) and put up career averages of 18.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 839 games over 13 seasons in the NBA with the Bucks (1969-77, 1981-82) and Washington Bullets (1977-81). For Milwaukee alone, Dandridge averaged 18.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 618 games over his nine seasons.
The 6-6 forward went to the playoffs eight times in his career averaged 20.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 98 games. In his six postseason appearances with the Bucks, Dandridge averaged 18.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 60 games. He re-signed with Milwaukee as a veteran free agent in November of 1981 to end his career as a Buck.
Dandridge’s accomplishments in the league and for the Bucks franchise are numerous. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1970, and NBA All-Defensive First Team and All-NBA Second Team in 1979. He averaged a career-best 21.5 points per game in 1975-76, which ranked ninth in the league that season. His name shows up in nearly every category on the Bucks’ all-time leaderboards:
Points – 11,478, 5th
Scoring average (100+ games) – 18.6 ppg, 10th
Games played – 618, 3rd
Minutes played – 22,094, 1st
Field goals made – 4,826, 2nd
Field goals attempted – 9,901, 3rd
Free throws made – 1,826, 6th
Free throws attempted – 2,371, 6th
Rebounds – 4,497, 2nd
Assists – 1,956, 8th
Dandridge joins Oscar Robinson (1), Junior Bridgeman (2), Sidney Moncrief (4), Jon McGlocklin (14), Bob Lanier (16), Brian Winters (32) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (33) as Bucks to have their numbers retired.
“Bob Dandridge was a great player, a great forward. I enjoyed playing with him,” said Oscar Robertson, a teammate of Dandridge’s from 1970-74. “His contributions were often overlooked, but his value to the team was shown as he played a critical role in helping us win our only NBA Championship in 1971. Years later when he joined the Bullets, he played a critical role in helping them win a Championship. At last his number is finally being retired by the Bucks.”
Brian Winters, a teammate from 1975-77 and then again in 1981-82, added: “Bob Dandridge was one of the best players that I had the privilege to play with during my NBA career. He not only was a very good offensive player, but an outstanding defender and teammate. He was a starter on the Bucks Championship team and on the Washington Bullets Championship team. I am very pleased to see that his number is going to be retired in Milwaukee. It is well deserved.”
