The Milwaukee Bucks, eliminated in the first round of the 2023 play-offs, fired coach Mike Budenholzer on Thursday, who had led them to the NBA title two years earlier.
Best record in the league at the end of the regular season and among the favorites for the final coronation, the Bucks fell from the start against Miami in the Eastern Conference, a big disappointment for which Budenholzer paid the price.
“Today we announced that the Milwaukee Bucks have parted ways with Coach Mike Budenholzer,” franchise president Peter Feigin and general manager Jon Horst wrote in an open letter to fans.
“It was a very difficult decision. Bud helped lead our team through five incredible seasons, to the Bucks’ first title in 50 years, and then into a boom period.” Deprived of its star Giannis Antetokounmpo for almost three games, Milwaukee was no match for the Heat in the first round of the play-offs, losing the series 4-1.
Under the orders of Mike Budenholzer (2018-2023), the Bucks have never missed the play-offs, coming close to qualifying for the NBA Finals in 2019. That year, Budenholzer was named coach of the season . Two years later, Milwaukee finally defeated Phoenix in six games to win the NBA title and end a half-century drought since the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar era.
In addition to the departure of Mike Budenholzer, other construction sites will impose themselves on the Bucks over the coming months and seasons, as the contracts of key players surrounding Antetokounmpo will gradually expire.