"Coach Bud is going through a lot"- Darvin Ham reveals under fire Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer lost a brother in a devastating car accident

Mike Budenholzer was lambasted by basketball and Milwaukee Bucks fans for several egregious coaching blunders in their stunning loss to the Miami Heat. Milwaukee, owners of the best regular-season record in the NBA, lost to the eighth-seeded Heat in five games.

Right after the series ended, calls for the Bucks to fire Budenholzer started coming in. Many irate fans couldn’t understand why a champion coach could be so completely outmatched by Heat counterpart Erik Spoelstra.

The Milwaukee Bucks were trailing 1-2 before Game 4 in Miami. Most basketball fans were probably concerned about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s status. “The Greek Freak” has played only 11 minutes in the series heading into Game 4 due to a bruised lower back.

Unknown to almost everyone, Budenholzer was going through hell, which might have been part of the reason for his coaching blunders. Considering the personal tragedy he was going through, it’s almost unbelievable that he never left his post and dealt with his profound loss.

Mike Budenholzer is the youngest of seven children and has three brothers. It hasn’t been ascertained yet which of his brothers died in a devastating car accident.

The pain the champion coach was going through must have affected his playcalling. During the Miami Heat’s crippling 13-0 run late in Game 4 allowed them to grab a 3-1 lead in the series. During the rally, Budenholzer refused to call a timeout to stop Miami’s momentum.

Miami had three timeouts at that point. One of which could have been used to regroup the flailing Bucks who committed one error after another to surrender the lead to the Heat.

The same mental mistake happened in Game 5. After Jimmy Butler tied the game at 118 all, Mike Budenholzer should have called a timeout so the Bucks can inbound at halfcourt. Instead, Giannis Antetokounmpo couldn’t even cross halfcourt to attempt a potential game-winning shot.

Giannis Antetokounmpo questioned but respected Mike Budenholzer’s defensive strategy against Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler

Mike Budenholzer assigned Jrue Holiday, one of the NBA’s best perimeter defenders, to Jimmy Butler. With the way the bigger and more bruising forward was dominating the perennial All-NBA Defensive team guard, Giannis Antetokounmpo felt the Bucks should have adjusted.

Mike Budenholzer reportedly still has two years and $16 million left on his contract. The Milwaukee Bucks lost a big opportunity but considering what their coach was dealing with, they'll likely keep him.

About the author

Michael Macasero brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his coverage of basketball at Sportskeeda with over 18 years of diverse work experience. This includes stints at Convergys, Interpace and RunRepeat.

Michael's background in English and Journalism has provided him with the analytical skills and precision necessary for creating content, and he is a lifelong fan of the Boston Celtics. His favorite players include legends like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, modern stars like Tim Duncan, and Nikola Jokic, as well as emerging talent like Victor Wembanyama.

Michael respects Gregg Popovich, despite his contentious demeanor in interviews, and recognizes Popovich's genius in adapting his coaching style to maximize the talent on his roster over the years. Michael eagerly anticipates seeing how Popovich will structure the offense around emerging talent like Victor Wembanyama.

Understanding the story and details is crucial to Michael's reporting philosophy and he believes overlooking details, particularly when pressed for time, can lead to misunderstandings and inaccurate conclusions.

Aside from work, Michael's children are his hobbies, and he also likes to go running, swimming and weightlifting.

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