Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo post farewell message to Mike Budenholzer

Milwaukee Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo posted a message on Instagram expressing gratitude for his time playing under former head coach Mike Budenholzer.

‘Thank you for five meaningful years Coach,’ Antetokounmpo wrote as the caption for two photos of him and Budenholzer embracing each other after the Bucks won the 2021 NBA championship. ‘We accomplished something unbelievable and I’m forever grateful.’

Budenholzer was recently fired following Milwaukee’s first-round playoff exit to the Miami Heat after his decision making and game planning down the stretch came into question.

Antetokounmpo himself had openly criticized the team’s defensive gameplan in regard to guarding Heat superstar Jimmy Butler.

‘I don’t know, double-team him more, try to make him pass the ball,’ said Antetokounmpo.

Giannis Antetokounmpo posted a message expressing gratitude to his former head coach

 Antetokounmpo also criticized Mike Budenholzer’s defensive gameplan after the series

Budenholzer guided Milwaukee to an NBA Finals victory over the Phoenix Suns in 2021

‘Maybe switch the matchup for a little bit, give Jrue [Holiday] a break. I don’t think as a team we made the right [adjustment] or we didn’t make as many adjustments as we could have against him.’ 

Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra also openly questioned Budenholzer’s decision not to use a timeout on one of the Bucks final possessions of the series.

Budenholzer himself posted a farewell message on his Instagram account saying: ‘It’s been an incredible five years for me and my family.

‘The city of Milwaukee and the entire Bucks organization took us in and treated us like we were part of their own family.

‘Together we won a lot. Together we won an NBA championship. The first championship in 50 years. 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.’

Budenholzer was responsible for turning the Bucks into the perennial contender. In 2021 he guided the team to its first NBA championship since 1971.

During his tenure, the Bucks went a highly impressive 271-120 which amounted to the best record in the league across that span. 

Budenholzer’s job status had previously come under question after the 2020 playoff loss to Miami, but he was instead giving a three-year extension following the NBA Finals victory the following year. 

This year the Bucks won 58 games during the regular season under Budenholzer and entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.