Returning to Milwaukee for the first time since his dismissal, Phoenix Suns coach Mike Budenholzer confronted his former team, the Milwaukee Bucks, amid his current team’s fight for a playoff spot.
Despite his efforts to focus solely on the game, Budenholzer admitted the matchup felt unusually significant following the Suns’ 133-123 loss on Tuesday.
“Yeah, I mean, I’m human,” Budenholzer said, reflecting on the emotional weight of the game against a team he once led to an NBA championship during the 2020-21 season.
Mike Budenholzer Reflects on His Milwaukee Bucks Tenure
Budenholzer’s tenure with the Bucks was marked by significant success, including the best regular-season record in three of his five seasons and a combined 271-120 regular-season record.
“It was a great five years here in Milwaukee,” Budenholzer reminisced. “I’m forever appreciative to the organization, to the players, to the fans here. The people here were great to me. It’s tough to lose tonight. I want to keep the focus on my guys, my team. But I’ve said it a million times: It was five great years here.”
The Bucks acknowledged Budenholzer’s return with a simple “Welcome Back, Coach Bud” message on the video board during the first timeout, a gesture that went largely unnoticed by Budenholzer as he was engaged with his team.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Wanted Mike Budenholzer to Receive a Tribute Video
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo expressed surprise that no video tribute was played, saying, “I thought they were going to play like a video for him. They didn’t, which was surprising to me. I felt like they should.”
The game was challenging for the Suns, who are grappling with injuries to key players Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, neither of whom played on Tuesday. The loss marked Phoenix’s fourth consecutive defeat, placing them 11th in the Western Conference and complicating their play-in tournament aspirations.
Milwaukee’s exceptional shooting accuracy overshadowed Phoenix’s defensive efforts, as the Bucks shot 68.9% from the floor—the highest single-game shooting percentage by any NBA team since March 1998.
“My gut is they had one of those nights,” Budenholzer stated. “I thought defensively our effort, our will to compete was at a very high level. … The basket was big for them tonight.”
As the Suns continue to navigate their injury woes and chase a playoff berth, Budenholzer’s return to Milwaukee was a poignant reminder of his past successes and the harsh realities of the NBA’s competitive nature.
