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 Tuesday.
The Bucks’ new Robert Indiana-inspired home court honors the team’s rich history in Milwaukee while looking confidently ahead to a promising future.
A renowned pop artist famous for his “LOVE” artwork, Indiana created the design for the Bucks court that was used at the MECCA Arena from 1977-87.
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.
“There are so many elements that go into each team’s identity including the logos, uniforms and court. The new design of the Bucks court has enabled the Bucks to add a visually powerful component to their identity for fans watching in person and on broadcast,” said Christopher Arena, NBA vice president of apparel, sporting goods and basketball partnerships.
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.
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.
