“The only thing I knew, four of those places were cold” - Sydney Moncrief reflects on how he prepared for the NBA Draft

sidney

Sidney Moncrief is one of the most underrated players in NBA history, but a city that has never forgotten his contributions has always been Milwaukee. He played 11 seasons in the league, with ten coming with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Sid the Squid is arguably the greatest perimeter defender in NBA history, but people often forget his contributions. He was a top-five pick in the 1979 Draft, which was a special day since he already knew he was getting picked in the first five selections.

“It was kinda weird because I’m from Little Rock, Arkansas and I remember knowing the five teams that were the top five picks. LA Lakers, New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, and the Milwaukee Bucks. The only thing I knew, four of those places were cold, and I wasn’t going to LA because Magic was going to LA,” Moncrief said in an interview with WFRV Local 5 back in 2020.

Moncrief was a superb player for the Bucks

Before Moncrief arrived, the defense was mostly associated with big men like Bill Russell or Nate Thurmond. Most of the league felt defense was only meant for the paint, while perimeter defense was not the priority. That changed when Sidney joined the NBA, as he focused on stopping other perimeter players and limiting their potency.

As a result, the University of Arkansas star won the league’s first two Defensive Player of the Year awards in 1983 and 1984. Those were well-deserved victories because Sidney was locking down other guards and proving why perimeter defenders deserve more appreciation.

NBA icon Michael Jordan believed Moncrief was one of the most challenging matchups, as he felt Sidney would stick to him for the entire game.

“When you play against Moncrief, you’re in for a night of all-around basketball. He’ll hound you everywhere you go, both ends of the court. You just expect it,” Jordan told the L.A. Times in 1996.

In his ten seasons with the Bucks, Moncrief was an All-Star five times and a five-time All-NBA player, four coming from the Second Team and one First Team nod in 1983.

Moncrief loved Milwaukee

During Moncrief’s career, Milwaukee was ranked dead last in market size among NBA teams. That meant they did not get the same media attention as you would see from teams like the Knicks, Lakers, Bulls, or Celtics. It was not a problem for Moncrief, as he ignored that.

He was firmly settled in Milwaukee, as he loved playing in the city and for the Bucks organization.

“We talk about diversity and inclusion, sports create that environment. The Milwaukee Bucks, between the team, the fans, and the front office, we were the perfect model diversity and inclusion should look,” Moncrief continued.

That helped Moncrief fully embrace the city, as the fans loved him and the team. Nobody was rude to him, as Sidney had an enjoyable time in Wisconsin until he left in 1989 for a final season in Atlanta and then returned to Milwaukee in 2011 to be an assistant coach under Coach Scott Skiles.