Jason Kidd's firing took the NBA by surprise, as the fourth-year coach was sacked after the halfway mark of the regular season, despite every attempt to save his job by his most loyal star player, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
While the reasons were muddy at first, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski clarified the Milwaukee Bucks made the decision solely based in performance, with the team barely hanging on for eighth place in the East prior to his firing.
The former player-turned-coach spoke about his experience with the Bucks franchise, emphasizing there is “no regrets” during his short tenure with the team.
“I enjoyed my time in Milwaukee. There's no regrets,” said Kidd, according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne. “We took an organization that was in a bad place and shined a light on it. They're still young in running their race. Giannis is young in running his new race, as one of the best players in the world.”
Kidd only managed one winning season at the helm of the Bucks, as his first was locked at the .500 mark, and the following seeing only 33 victories for the campaign. The Bucks came up last season, barely managing 42 wins and an early playoff exit at the claws of the Toronto Raptors.
The 44-year-old said he thanked Antetokounmpo for his loyalty and that he was “thankful to be able to coach him” — per Shelburne.
The Bucks will now continue with assistant coach Joe Prunty at the helm, at least until the front office finds a candidate to make this franchise take off the way they deem adequate.
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