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The Milwaukee Bucks organization is in mourning following the news of the death of former team owner Herb Kohl at the age of 88. The passing of Kohl, who also served the United States as a senator, was announced on Wednesday by Herb Kohl Philanthropies, per ESPN.
“Throughout his life, Herb Kohl always put people first — from his employees and their families to his customers and countless charitable organizations and efforts,” Herb Kohl Philanthropies director JoAnne Anton said in a statement (h/t Milwaukee Journal Sentinel).
“Herb Kohl Way isn’t just the name of a street in front of the Fiserv Forum. The Herb Kohl Way perfectly sums up a legacy of humility, commitment, compromise, and kindness to countless people he worked with, served and helped along the way. Those values will live on through his Foundation.”
Kohl purchased the Bucks franchise in 1985 for $18 million. Since then, Milwaukee's worth has skyrocketed. As of October 2023, Milwukee is valued at $3.2 billion, per Forbes.
Kohl, a son of Jewish immigrants, was born in 1985 in Milwaukee. He finished his studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1956 with a Bachelor of Science degree before going to Harvard Business School in 1958 where he earned a Master of Business Administration degree. He also became a US senator in 1988 and again in 1994, 2000, and 2006.
In 2014, Kohl sold a majority of the shares of Bucks ownership to Wes Edens and Marc Lasry.
When the Bucks won the NBA championship in 2021, Kohl was seen joining the team's parade and said that seeing Milwaukee bring home the Larry O'Brien Trophy for the first time since 1971 was one of the “biggest days” of his life.
