Mike Budenholzer was fired as Milwaukee Bucks head coach 10 days after his brother’s death. The team was knocked out in the first round of the NBA playoffs against the No 8 seeded Miami Heat.
The Bucks said that they are ‘grateful for the culture of winning and leadership’ he created at Milwaukee.
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“The decision to make this change was very difficult. Bud helped lead our team for five incredible seasons, to the Bucks’ first title in 50 years, and into an era of sustained success. We are grateful for the culture of winning and leadership that Bud helped create in Milwaukee. This is an opportunity for us to refocus and reenergize our efforts as we continue building toward our next championship season,” Bucks general manager Jon Horst said in a statement.
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Budenholzer finished his fifth season with Giannis Antetokounmpo and co. The head coach was 271-120 in the regular season and 39-26 in the postseason. The 2021 champs finished on top of the Eastern Conference but Heat got the best of them.
Several fans blamed Budenholzer’s decisions for the team’s shocking exit. However, after he was fired on Thursday, they expressed disappointment.
“Nasty work firing Mike Budenholzer for not having his head on straight following the sudden and tragic death of his brother during the series. Nasty nasty nasty,” a Twitter user said.
“And they must’ve know about what happened with Budenholzer’s brother, don’t ever work yourself to the bone, they’ll move on and not even blink,” another one slammed the Milwaukee Bucks.
Mike Budenholzer was the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks for five seasons and assistant for the San Antonio Spurs before he joined the Milwaukee Bucks.
