Mateo’s Hoop Diary: Mike Budenholzer Dismissed by Bucks

It’s a shame the basketball gods aren’t real to curse the Milwaukee Bucks with decades of misery.

Thursday, the op canned coach Mike Budenholzer. In his service, the group earned a 39-26 playoff record in five seasons, which included a championship. In that span, his outfit won 271 games in the regular season, third most in franchise history, and lost 120. He was let go while grieving the loss of his brother, who died in a tragic car accident.

Round one against the Heat ended on April 26. It was an unceremonious finale that will haunt the Bucks and its supporters for years. The squad had the top record of 30 teams, led by a man who resembles a demi-god more than a mortal on the court. But he only logged 38% of the minutes in the series. In contrast with Miami’s Jimmy Butler, who recorded 77.5% of the allowed time in round one.

The Bucks are now the sixth first seed in NBA lore to lose to the eighth spot. I suspect future generations won’t be kind to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bud when dusting off the history books and spewing an ill-informed take about something they never saw. Damn them, from now.

There are people today, scribes, TV personalities, fans and ex-leaguers, ripping the Bucks’ racks off—especially Giannis’s answer when asked if the season was a failure.

“Do you get the promotion every year at your job? So every year your work is a failure? Yes or no? No. Every year you work, you work towards a goal…”

It doesn’t seem like Milwaukee’s’ execs took what he said seriously. The Bucks only permitted Budenholzer eight days before telling him to clean his office. Never mind Giannis was hurt. Budenholzer lost family. When people suffer a loss like that, it takes a long time to recover and think clearly.

Firing him now was classless. Budenholzer treated the team like his blood by not taking off to be with his kin. It wasn’t enough for management. Perhaps they, too, are brainwashed by the toxic ring culture in the league, or a sacrifice was needed for the blame of losing in a historic fashion.

Good coaches don’t grow on trees. Budenholzer was adequate enough and achieved the peak of the profession with the team that hadn’t done it in 50 years. It’s revolting that significant accomplishments are easily forgotten in Milwaukee.

Fun fact: Budenholzer is the first NBA coach to get axed when the one seed loses to the eighth. George Karl (1994), Pat Riley (1999), Avery Johnson (2007), Gregg Popovich (2011) and Tom Thibodeau (2012) all kept their jobs.

In his five years as coach, Budenholzer’s team won the most regular season games of 30 groups at 271. Those 39 playoff wins as a coach are the second-most in Bucks history after Don Nelson. Following Budenholzer in regular season wins is Michael Malone of the Denver Nuggets with 248 dubs.

I don’t expect Budenzholzer to stay on the market long, unless it’s by his choosing. Apart from coaching, he’s a well-rounded dude who can discuss politics, philosophy and economics with anyone.

Budenholzer deserved better from the Bucks. Hopefully, his next team will be more grateful.