Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo addressed the team's decision to fire former head coach Mike Budenholzer last week in a post shared on his Instagram account Monday (May 8).
"hank you for five meaningful years Coach. We accomplished something unbelievable and I’m forever grateful. 🙏🏽💪🏾," Antetokounmpo wrote.
Budenholzer served as the Antetokounmpo's head coach for the past five seasons of the two-time NBA MVP's 10-year NBA career, which included leading the Bucks to an NBA championship in 2021 and being named NBA Coach of the Year in 2019 during his first year with the franchise, having previously won the award during his tenure with the Atlanta Hawks in 2015. Milwaukee finished the 2022-23 regular season with the best record in the NBA, but were upset by the eighth-seed Miami Heat in five games during the first-round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last month.
“The decision to make this change was very difficult,” said Bucks general manager Jon Horst in a statement on behalf of the team shared on the Bucks' official website last Thursday (May 4). “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 re-energize our efforts as we continue building toward our next championship season.”
Budenholzer went 271-120 during five seasons with the Bucks, which included finishing first in the Central Division standings each year. The 53-year-old had previously gone 213-197 during five seasons as the Hawks' head coach from 2013-18.
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