The Milwaukee Bucks have fired Jason Kidd from his head coaching position and it is a performance-based decision, nothing personal. This was reported by Yahoo! Sports NBA writer Chris Mannix on a statement from Bucks general manager Jon Horst.

According to Mannix, “Horst calls Kidd's firing ‘performance based,’ nothing more.”

The Bucks are uncomfortably sitting at the number eight spot in the East with a mediocre 23-22 record. In an Eastern Conference that isn’t that good after several All-Stars moved out West, the Bucks haven’t made any headway into being a contender.

Despite getting Eric Bledsoe in a trade, a potential All-Star from the Phoenix Suns, the team hasn’t been playing well, winning only sporadically and struggling to find consistency.

They have lost four of their last five games and seven of their last 11.

Someone had to be held accountable and Bucks management decided that the coaching was the main problem, so Kidd had to go. Bucks assistant Joe Prunty will take over as interim coach when they face the Phoenix Suns.

According to a letter to the fans from Horst and the Bucks front office:

“Many factors went into this decision but ultimately we decided that a fresh approach and a change in leadership are needed to continue elevating our team to the next level and bringing us closer to our goal of winning championships. We believe that making this change now is important for the organization and gives our players the best chance to reach their full potential this season and beyond.”

According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Giannis Antetokounmpo tried to save Kidd from being fired. She tells the story in a couple of tweets.

Now that Kidd is gone, it will be interesting to see how Giannis Antetokounmpo will respond, not only when the microphone is on him but with his play. The Bucks superstar was in the conversation for MVP earlier in the season. Could Kidd’s firing light a fire under him up to play even better than he has?