About Bango, the Milwaukee Bucks mascot

The Bucks’ mascot has delighted crowds with dunks and stunts, from the Milwaukee Arena to the Bradley Center to Fiserv Forum, for almost 50 years.

Bango made his debut in the team’s 1977-78 home opener — which pitted the Bucks against the Los Angeles Lakers two years after NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar left Milwaukee for L.A.

Named for the call the team’s original radio announcer, Eddie Doucette, made when players made a long-range basket, Bango was the moniker chosen by fans in a contest.

In the decades since, he’s gone through several makeovers and celebrated many milestones.

In 1984, he got his first car (it’s unclear whether he was old enough to drive; we’re not sure how deer aging equates here). He got married in 2002, and welcomed Bango Jr. in 2005. Two years later, Bango and Bango Jr. first appeared in their inflatable forms. 2010 was a big year for Bango: he nailed a few new dunks and was honored as the NBA Mascot of the Year.

The next few years brought more cervid celebrations: Cartoon Network’s “Most Awesome Mascot,” a human hamster ball dunk and a featured role on the Hulu “Behind the Mask” documentary. There were also a few mishaps along the way — a torn ACL and a broken rim during a Badgers halftime show.

Whether he’s wearing a sweater or a full uniform with the number 68 (for the team’s first season), doing acrobatics on the court or making appearances in the community, Bango is Milwaukee’s most dominant deer.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: About Bango, the Milwaukee Bucks mascot