Herb Kohl, former U.S. Senator and owner of Milwaukee Bucks, dies at age 88
Herb Kohl, the former United States senator who purchased the Bucks in 1985 to keep them in Milwaukee, has died at the age of 88.
His passing was announced by Herb Kohl Philanthropies, which did not release a cause of death — other than to say it was due to a "brief illness" — and did release a statement that read in part:
"More than anything, Herb loved Milwaukee and Wisconsin, and that is where he chose to live out his days. He touched an incalculable number of lives, and those who love him would remark that he is among the most decent people to ever walk the earth.”
"Senator Kohl was a dear friend and one of our very best public servants," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "In addition to his decades of devoted service in the U.S. Senate, he set the standard for NBA team ownership as the governor of his hometown Milwaukee Bucks for nearly 30 years. Through his purchase of the team, Senator Kohl ensured that the Bucks would stay in Milwaukee and remain an important pillar of the community. There was never any doubt about his extraordinary commitment to the franchise and city that he loved, and his vision and unparalleled financial contribution towards a new arena in Milwaukee will forever be remembered.
"I send my deepest condolences to Senator Kohl's family, friends and the Bucks organization. He will be deeply missed by his NBA family.”
Kohl was a Milwaukee native who got his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA from Harvard. He then went on to run the family-owned department and grocery store chain Kohl's until it was sold in 1979. He went on to become one of the wealthiest men in the U.S. Senate when he ran for office in 1988, where he was a relatively low-profile personality but one who worked behind the scenes to get things done for his state. Kohl had a sign on his senate office desk that read "The Bucks stop here." He also was known for his charitable works throughout the state of Wisconsin.
In that vein, Kole purchased the Bucks in 1985 to end the threat of them moving out of town. The Bucks were up and down over his years as an owner, having a winning record the first six years he was there but stumbling through much of the 1990s, but Kohl impacted today's game beyond keeping the Bucks in Milwaukee. Kohl was one of the first to push then-commissioner David Stern for revenue sharing among owners back in 2006.
In 2014 Kohl sold the Bucks to Marc Lasry and Wes Edens for $550 million, but he contributed some of that money back to the building of the Fiserv Forum, which opened in 2018 and serves as the anchor of the Deer District, an entertainment complex in the heart of Milwaukee.
In the summer of 2013, before Kohl sold the Bucks, they drafted Giannis Antetokounmpo in the middle of the first round. He proceeded to fill that building with fans and lead the Bucks to the 2021 NBA title.
