Bucks: Mike Budenholzer thanks Milwaukee in goodbye message

Mike Budenholzer bid farewell to the Milwaukee Bucks and their fans in a 3-page goodbye message on Instagram.

Job security does not appear to exist in the NBA when you are a head coach and Mike Budenholzer is a perfect example of this. After just winning a championship with the Bucks in 2021, the organization's first championship in 50 years, Milwaukee decided to fire Budenholzer after losing in the first-round of the playoffs this year to the 8-seeded Miami Heat. This move by the team was a shock to many in the league, especially given the Bucks' success through the years.

Entering the postseason with the best record in the league and having high title aspirations, the Bucks failed to meet expectations, which is why Budenholzer is no longer their head coach. Taking to Instagram recently, the former Bucks head coach posted a long, 3-page thank you message to the organization, fans and city of Milwaukee.

“Milwaukee – Thank you!!! Thank you!!! Thank you!!!” Budenholzer wrote. “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 a part of their own family… It has been an honor to do this job. To have a place in the history of the city, the history of the Bucks organization, for that, I will be forever grateful. In my mind, there was no better place to work than for The Bucks, and for Milwaukee.”

The former two-time NBA Coach of the Year closed things out by saying it was “time for a beer” and “some sun on one of the lakes!”

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A post shared by Mike Budenholzer (@budenholzermike)

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo also took to social media recently to thank Mike Budenholzer, stating that he is “forever grateful” for what they accomplished together.

After moving on from Budenholzer, the Bucks now face a ton of questions heading into the offseason. They will not only have to find someone else to lead this team from the sideline, but Khris Middleton has a player option he will likely opt out of and Brook Lopez is set to become an unrestricted free agent following one of the best years of his career. Giannis will also be eligible for an extension right before the start of the 2023-24 season, so one wrong move at the beginning of the offseason could have devastating effects for Milwaukee moving forward.