Following Mike Budenholzer’s surprise firing from the Bucks after the team’s first-round playoff exit at the hands of the Heat, franchise player Giannis Antetokounmpo addressed his coach’s firing for the first time.
“Thank you for five meaningful years Coach,” Antetokounmpo wrote on Instagram. “We accomplished something unbelievable and I’m forever grateful.”
The picture that Antetokounmpo shared was of the two hugging following Milwaukee’s NBA Finals win in 2021.
Milwaukee finished the regular season with a 58–24 record, which earned the team the No. 1 seed in the East. However, the first-round loss in five games represented the team’s earliest exit from the playoffs in Budenholzer’s tenure.
“The decision to make this change was very difficult,” Bucks general manager Jon Horst said in a statement. “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.”
Budenholzer was nothing but grateful to the Bucks organization and fanbase in his statement that he released on Monday.
“The city of Milwaukee and the entire Bucks organization took us in and treated us like were part of their own family,” he wrote. “Every door that was opened, every corner that was turned, every need that was met for the entire five years helped us find our way and become part of the city. Together we won an NBA Championship. The memories of the parade, watching the entire city celebrating with the players and staff as the buses made their way through the streets of Milwaukee, that is something we will all cherish forever.”
