The Milwaukee Bucks continued their offseason of change by unveiling the design for their new state-of-the-art playing surface at the BMO Harris Bradley Center during a celebration at the Milwaukee Art Museum Tuesday night.
The Bucks’ new home court was inspired by pop artist Robert Indiana, who created the design for the Bucks court that was used at the MECCA Arena from 1977-87.
The new design honors the team’s rich history in Milwaukee while looking confidently ahead to a promising future.
“Bucks’ history is deep,” said Bucks Vice President of Business Operations John Steinmiller during Tuesday’s unveiling. “It’s very memorable. It’s very treasured I think by all of us, not only those of us who work for the team but also those of you who follow the team dating way back.”
The Bucks’ new home court at the BMO Harris Bradley Center takes inspiration from Indiana’s original pop art design, reproducing the world-famous “M’s” bracketing the midcourt line – this time in two shades of hand-stained Wisconsin hard maple – along with the word “Milwaukee” adorning each baseline, just as in Indiana’s iconic work of original art.
At center court is the Bucks logo, featuring an eight-point white tail buck head. Painted surfaces of the court are almost exclusively green, tying together all eras of the Bucks’ 46-year history.
The floor will feature a new state-of-the-art Nitropanel system that provides 61 percent shock absorption and 97 percent ball rebound, contrasted with the old floor that provided less than 20 percent shock absorption. This revolutionary Nitropanel technology is designed to reduce injuries and long-term fatigue for players.
“We can win on that,” said Bucks player Larry Sanders during Tuesday’s unveiling, which also included remarks from original Bucks sportscaster Eddie Doucette.
The new playing surface was produced by Action Floor Systems, a Mercer, Wis.-based, family-owned and operated company for more than 25 years. Each year, Action Floor Systems manufactures more than 600 gym floors for schools, universities, YMCAs, fitness centers and professional teams worldwide.
The playing floor was assembled, sanded and painted on site at the BMO Harris Bradley Center by ProStar Surfaces Inc., the same Wisconsin-based company that has provided flooring services to the Bucks, Marquette University, the University of Wisconsin and other gymnasiums throughout the state for more than 20 years.
