The Milwaukee Bucks have fired coach Mike Budenholzer, responsible for winning the 2021 North American Basketball League (NBA) title, the Wisconsin state team announced a week after being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs .
“The decision to make this change was very difficult. ‘Bud’ [Mike Budenholzer] led our team through five unforgettable seasons as we won our first championship in 50 years and entered an era of continued success,” Bucks general manager Jon Horst said in a statement Thursday.
The Milwaukee team, which had won its only title in the NBA in 1971, was crowned champions again two years ago, under Budenholzer’s technical command, but the surprise elimination in this season’s playoff debut hastened its departure. of the coach, aged 53.
Eastern Conference winners, the Bucks started as favorites in the play-in clash with the Miami Heat, but lost categorically 4-1, with the aggravating factor of having comfortable advantages entering the fourth and last period of the last two games, which they eventually lost.
Despite having one of the best players in the league, Greek Giannis Antetokounmpo, named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the world’s premier basketball championship in 2019 and 2020, the Bucks did not reach the finals until 2021, in which they lost the Phoenix Suns 4-2.
Source: DN
