In a basketball career that has spanned seven decades, Jon McGlocklin has accomplished just about everything a player can possibly accomplish.
A former high school, college and pro star, he’s been an NBA All-Star, an NBA champion and an NBA TV analyst.
He’s even won an Emmy Award for broadcasting.
All of it, though, is a tiny sampling of McGlocklin’s unique and diverse basketball career, which began with his playing days at Franklin High School in the 1950s and continues today with his broadcasting job with the Milwaukee Bucks.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
In a tribute to the Franklin native’s legacy, the Johnson County Museum of history has created a special display, with a number of priceless items, honoring McGlocklin’s career.
All items are on special loan from McGlocklin, who personally delivered them earlier this month. They are part of a broader exhibit that opened in April, “Homegrown Talent: Sports Stars of Johnson County.”
The “Homegrown Talent” exhibit, which tells the stories of a range of the county sports legends, runs through early November. But the McGlocklin display will end July 22, when he will pick up his items and take them back to his home outside Milwaukee.
Each item is priceless to McGlocklin, both in dollar and sentimental value.
Loaned memorabilia includes his varsity letters from Franklin High School; his 1965 letter sweater from Indiana University, where he starred with Greenwood natives and lifelong friends Tom and Dick Van Arsdale; his IU Athletics Hall of Fame ring; basketball cards from his playing days with the Bucks; his commemorative trophy for playing in the Jan. 4, 1969, NBA All-Star game in Baltimore; his 2009 Emmy Award; and, among other items, a Bucks jersey and warmup jacket.
Museum curator Theresa Koenigsknecht is grateful for both the quality and content of the loaned items, and for McGlocklin’s cooperation and going the extra mile — or miles — to deliver them.
“He was very generous. I love the Franklin stuff. That kind of shows his whole career,” Koenigsknecht said. “He was generous enough to come back (and deliver the items).
“Since this is such one-of-a-kind stuff, we didn’t want to ship it. We’re not going to mess around with it.”
McGlocklin played 11 NBA seasons, including eight with the Bucks. In 1968, Milwaukee’s expansion year, he became the first player signed by the franchise, earning the nickname, “The Original Buck.”
In 1969, he was an NBA All-Star. In 1971, he helped lead the Bucks to the NBA championship. A 6-foot-5 guard, he and Oscar Robertson were the starting backcourt on a dominant team that also featured Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
After retiring in 1976, McGlocklin — by then known as “Jonny Mac” — became the first player in Bucks history to have his jersey retired. That same year, he co-founded the MACC Fund, which has raised more than $55 million for childhood cancer research.
McGlocklin, 73, has performed TV commentary for Bucks games since his 1976 retirement. Until recently, he worked home and away games, but for the past two years has limited his time to home games.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”If you go” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
What: “Homegrown Talent: Sports Stars of Johnson County”
Where: Johnson County Museum of History, 135 N. Main St., Franklin
When: Opens Friday and is expected to run through early November
Hours of operation: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday
Special exhibit: Former Franklin High School and Milwaukee Bucks star Jon McGlocklin has loaned a wealth of priceless items, including his Emmy award and NBA All-Star trophy, for display until July 22.
[sc:pullout-text-end]
