Editing Milwaukee Bucks (section)

====2018–2023: under Mike Budenholzer====
On May 17, 2018, the Bucks announced former [[San Antonio Spurs]]' assistant coach and former Atlanta Hawks head coach [[Mike Budenholzer]] as their new head coach.<ref name="Budenholzer hired">{{cite news|title=Mike Budenholzer Named Head Coach Of The Milwaukee Bucks|url=http://www.nba.com/bucks/news/mike-budenholzer-named-head-coach-milwaukee-bucks|publisher=NBA Media Ventures, LLC|website=Bucks.com|date=May 17, 2018|access-date=May 17, 2018|archive-date=November 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109032625/http://www.nba.com/bucks/news/mike-budenholzer-named-head-coach-milwaukee-bucks|url-status=live}}</ref> On August 26, 2018, the Bucks' new arena, [[Fiserv Forum]], opened to the public.

Since 2018, the Bucks host Pride Night at Fiserv Forum, an event to celebrate the [[LGBT community|LGBTQ+ community]]. On January 22, 2022, the annual event was hosted for the 5th time.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 19, 2022 |title=Pride Night: Milwaukee Bucks to celebrate LGBTQ+ community during Saturday's game |url=https://www.tmj4.com/news/local-news/pride-night-milwaukee-bucks-to-celebrate-lgbtq-community-during-saturdays-game |access-date=January 18, 2023 |website=TMJ4 News |language=en |archive-date=January 18, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118211207/https://www.tmj4.com//news/local-news/pride-night-milwaukee-bucks-to-celebrate-lgbtq-community-during-saturdays-game |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Bucks stormed through their [[2018–19 Milwaukee Bucks season|2018–19 regular season]], racing out to a 25–10 start en route to finishing 60–22, the fifth 60-win season in franchise history and the first time they had won that many in a regular season since the 1980–81 season. They also finished with the league-best record for the second time in franchise history, equalling their 1970–71 championship season. This earned them home-court advantage in any playoff series for the first time since 2001, and only the second time in the new millennium. On April 22, 2019, the Bucks swept the [[Detroit Pistons]] for their first playoff series win since 2001. On May 8, they eliminated the [[Boston Celtics]] in five games to reach their first Conference Finals since 2001, where they lost to the eventual league champion [[Toronto Raptors]] in six games. After the season, Giannis Antetokounmpo was named the league's [[NBA Most Valuable Player Award|Most Valuable Player]]. General Manager Jon Horst won the [[NBA Executive of the Year award]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/nba/awards/story/_/id/27003891|title=Every winner, best moments from the 2019 NBA awards show|date=June 25, 2019|work=ESPN.com|access-date=July 1, 2019|archive-date=October 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016003426/https://www.espn.com/nba/awards/story/_/id/27003891|url-status=live}}</ref>

In their [[2019–20 Milwaukee Bucks season|2019–20 season]], the Bucks clinched a playoff berth after the team's 56th regular-season game, becoming the fastest team to clinch a playoff spot measured by the number of games played and by the calendar date (February 23) since the NBA changed its playoff format in 1984.<ref name=cancian>{{Cite journal | last = Cancian | first = Dan | title = Can Milwaukee Win 70 Games? Bucks Make NBA History As They Clinch Earliest Playoff Spot In Current Postseason Format | url = https://www.newsweek.com/milwaukee-bucks-playoffs-spot-earliest-date-clinched-70-games-win-1488730 | journal = [[Newsweek]] | date = February 24, 2020 | access-date = March 15, 2020 | archive-date = March 14, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200314065907/https://www.newsweek.com/milwaukee-bucks-playoffs-spot-earliest-date-clinched-70-games-win-1488730 | url-status = live }}</ref> Following the [[suspension of the 2019–20 NBA season]], the Bucks were one of the 22 teams invited to the [[2020 NBA Bubble|NBA Bubble]] to participate in the final 8 games of the regular season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nba.com/news/board-of-governors-approves-nba-return-official-release|title=NBA Board of Governors approves competitive format to restart 2019-20 season with 22 teams returning to play|website=www.nba.com|access-date=July 21, 2021|archive-date=October 27, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027164406/https://www.nba.com/news/board-of-governors-approves-nba-return-official-release|url-status=live}}</ref> On August 26, the Bucks’ players refused to play in their playoff matchup against the [[Orlando Magic]] following the [[shooting of Jacob Blake]] by police.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/26/sport/milwaukee-bucks-boycott-playoff-game/index.html | title = Milwaukee Bucks boycott NBA playoff game, league postpones two other games | work = [[CNN]] | date = August 26, 2020 | access-date = August 26, 2020 | archive-date = December 21, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201221143832/https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/26/sport/milwaukee-bucks-boycott-playoff-game/index.html | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sbnation.com/2020/8/26/21403117/milwaukee-bucks-game-5-boycott-orlando-magic-police-brutality-jacob-blake-shooting|title=The Bucks are sitting out Game 5 against the Magic to protest police brutality|first=James|last=Dator|date=August 26, 2020|website=SBNation.com|access-date=August 27, 2020|archive-date=August 28, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828115823/https://www.sbnation.com/2020/8/26/21403117/milwaukee-bucks-game-5-boycott-orlando-magic-police-brutality-jacob-blake-shooting|url-status=live}}</ref> Antetokounmpo received his second consecutive Most Valuable Player award after returning home from the NBA Bubble upon the Bucks losing in the semi-finals of the [[2020 NBA playoffs]] to the Miami Heat.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cacciola |first=Scott |date=September 9, 2020 |title=Milwaukee Bucks Are Eliminated From the Playoffs by the Miami Heat |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/08/sports/basketball/nba-milwaukee-bucks-miami-heat-giannis.html |access-date=January 7, 2021 |website=The New York Times |language=en-US |archive-date=December 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201213000824/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/08/sports/basketball/nba-milwaukee-bucks-miami-heat-giannis.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=September 18, 2020 |title=Giannis wins 2nd straight MVP award in landslide |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29913814/sources-milwaukee-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-wins-second-straight-mvp-award |access-date=January 7, 2021 |website=ESPN.com |language=en |archive-date=September 18, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200918230306/https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29913814/sources-milwaukee-bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-wins-second-straight-mvp-award |url-status=live }}</ref> During the first possession of a [[2020–21 NBA season|2020–21 regular season]] game against the Detroit Pistons on January 6, both teams took a knee in protest to the announcement that criminal charges would not be filed against police officers in the Blake shooting. The Bucks held the ball for seven seconds in reference to Blake's seven gunshots.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 7, 2021 |title=Bucks, Pistons take knee on opening possessions |url=https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30665108/milwaukee-bucks-detroit-pistons-take-knee-game-opening-possession |access-date=January 7, 2021 |website=ESPN.com |language=en |archive-date=January 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109195342/https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/30665108/milwaukee-bucks-detroit-pistons-take-knee-game-opening-possession |url-status=live }}</ref>

During the offseason, the Bucks signed Antetokounmpo to a 5-year, $228 million contract extension, the largest contract in NBA history. Along with resigning their superstar, the Bucks also made a trade which resulted in Eric Bledsoe and George Hill being sent to the [[New Orleans Pelicans]] and receiving a former All-Defense player in [[Jrue Holiday]]. The Bucks also strengthened their bench with free agent signings of [[Bobby Portis]] and [[Bryn Forbes]]. In their [[2020–21 Milwaukee Bucks season|2020–21 season]], the Bucks clinched the third seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 46–26, as well as their third consecutive Central Division title. It was the third consecutive season the Bucks had a winning percentage of at least .600, the first time it had happened in franchise history since 1984–86. During the season, the Bucks acquired [[P. J. Tucker]] to further strengthen their defense for the playoffs.

[[File:P20211108AS-1807 (51845519782).jpg|thumb|250px|Members of the Milwaukee Bucks celebrating their 2021 championship at the White House]]
In the [[2021 NBA playoffs]], the Bucks began by defeating the Heat in a four-game sweep in the first round in a rematch of the previous year's Eastern Conference Semifinals. They then defeated the Brooklyn Nets (led by [[Kevin Durant]], [[Kyrie Irving]] and [[James Harden]]) in seven games in the Conference Semifinals, culminating with a Game 7 victory on the road at [[Barclays Center]]. They then defeated the [[Atlanta Hawks]] in six games in the Conference Finals to secure their 3rd NBA Finals appearance in franchise history and their first since [[1973–74 NBA season|1974]]. In the [[2021 NBA Finals|NBA Finals]], the Bucks faced the [[Phoenix Suns]], who were favored after defeating the defending champion [[Los Angeles Lakers]] in the Western Conference first round. The Bucks came back from down 2–0 to win the series. Antetokounmpo was named Finals MVP after averaging 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks in the series including a 50-point performance in a 105-98 Game 6 victory at Fiserv Forum.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/20/sports/basketball/milwaukee-bucks-nba-finals-championship.html |title=The Milwaukee Bucks Win the N.B.A. Championship |website=The New York Times |date=July 20, 2021 |access-date=July 21, 2021 |archive-date=July 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210721104938/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/20/sports/basketball/milwaukee-bucks-nba-finals-championship.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Bucks finished 2021–22 with a 51–31 record, their 4th consecutive season with a winning percentage of .600 or better, as well as their 4th consecutive Central Division title, their longest streak of division championships since 1979–1986. Once again with the 3-seed in the Eastern Conference, the Bucks beat the rival [[Chicago Bulls]] 4 games to 1 in the first round, but lost Middleton to a sprained knee in game 2. Without Middleton, the Bucks struggled to find offensive support for Antetokounmpo in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Boston Celtics. Though the Bucks had a 3–2 lead in the series, they would lose game 6 at home and game 7 on the road, ending their season.

During the 2022 off-season, the Bucks selected [[MarJon Beauchamp]] and [[Hugo Besson]] with the 24th and 58th overall picks in the [[2022 NBA draft]] respectively. The Bucks also re-signed Portis to a 4-year, $48 million contract as well as [[Wesley Matthews]] and [[Serge Ibaka]] to 1-year deals and [[Jevon Carter]] to a 2-year, $4.3 million deal. The Bucks also signed [[Joe Ingles]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nba.com/bucks/news/milwaukee-bucks-sign-joe-ingles|title=Milwaukee Bucks Sign Joe Ingles|publisher=NBA|date=July 6, 2022|access-date=June 10, 2023|archive-date=December 15, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221215203151/https://www.nba.com/bucks/news/milwaukee-bucks-sign-joe-ingles|url-status=live}}</ref> to a 1-year deal out of free agency. Despite Middleton playing just 33 games over the course of the 2022–23 season, the Bucks finished with a 58–24 record, the best in the league. They went into the [[2023 NBA playoffs]] as the 1st seed in the Eastern Conference and faced the Miami Heat in the first round. Antetokounmpo suffered a back injury just a few minutes into the first game of the series following a blocking foul from [[Kevin Love]] as Antetokounmpo was driving to the basket. Antetokounmpo would go on to miss games 2 and 3 and, despite his return for games 4 and 5, the Bucks lost the series 4–1. On May 4, 2023, a week after their series loss, the Bucks announced the firing of Budenholzer.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.co.uk/nba/story/_/id/37424110/sources-bucks-fire-coach-mike-budenholzer-early-exit|title=Bucks fire coach Mike Budenholzer after early exit|publisher=ESPN|date=May 4, 2023|access-date=June 10, 2023|archive-date=June 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610124439/https://www.espn.co.uk/nba/story/_/id/37424110/sources-bucks-fire-coach-mike-budenholzer-early-exit|url-status=live}}</ref>