Pavalon and Marvin Fishman led a group of investors called Milwaukee Professional Sports and Services, Inc. that was awarded a National Basketball Association franchise in January 1968.

The fortunes of the Bucks franchise changed dramatically when the team won a coin flip with the Phoenix Suns and gained the right to choose Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) with the No. 1 pick in the 1969 draft.

Pavalon and the Bucks ownership group signed Alcindor and traded for Oscar Robertson, and they led the Bucks to their only championship during the 1970-'71 season.

Pavalon also played a major role in hiring Wayne Embry as the first African-American general manager in the NBA in 1972.

"I really feel indebted to Milwaukee and the Bucks organization," Embry said in a published interview. "I'm really appreciative to Wes Pavalon and the ownership group at that time."

Bucks co-founder Fishman died in October.

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