Bucks Co-Owner Marc Lasry Wants Team to Win over 70 Games, NBA Championship

Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry isn't just satisfied with winning a championship. He wants this team to go down as the greatest in NBA history.

Recounting a conversation he had with Charlotte Hornets chairman Michael Jordan, Lasry said Tuesday he wants the Bucks to win more than 70 games and take home the Larry O'Brien Trophy in June.

"Everybody wants to be recognized for being unique and different. I mean, all these players," Lasry said, per Eric Woodyard of ESPN. "When I was in Paris, I was talking to Michael about this and I said, 'Well, what do you think? I think we've got a real shot at doing what you guys have done [win 70 games]. This is a really unique team.'

"And he goes, 'Look, my advice to you is don't focus on beating our record, focus on winning a championship.' And I said, 'Wow, that's great. Thank you for that. Just so you know we're going to focus on beating your record and winning a championship.' I think we should do everything, but that's me."

The Bucks are currently 40-6, putting them at about a 71-win pace. Jordan's Chicago Bulls went 72-10 in 1995-96 on their way to winning an NBA championship. The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors set an NBA record with a 73-9 mark but lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Finals.

While Draymond Green's Game 5 suspension in that Finals was the turning point, some have also wondered if the Warriors ran out of gas after chasing 73 wins in the regular season.

The Bucks, though, are among the NBA's best teams at managing minutes. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the only player on the roster averaging even 30 minutes per game, and he's at 30.7. The 2015-16 Warriors had four players over the 30-minute mark: Green (34.7), Stephen Curry (34.2), Klay Thompson (33.3) and Harrison Barnes (30.9).

The Bucks may be the team best-equipped to do what Lasry wants, pushing the all-time wins record while keeping players fresh.

In terms of pure dominance, these Bucks are closer than any team to Jordan's Bulls. Milwaukee is outscoring opponents by 12.8 points per game, slightly ahead of the 12.3 points per game by which Jordan and Co. outpaced their opposition.