Being introduced as the head coach of your hometown team in front of family and friends is very emotional in itself, but for Mike Budenholzer there was one question that stirred up his emotions even more during his introductory press conference as the next Phoenix Suns coach on Friday.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!When Budenholzer was fired as the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks on May 4, 2023, the timing for him could not have been worse. His dismissal came following the Bucks first-round exit at the hands of the Miami Heat and only 10 days after one of his three brothers passed away in a tragic car accident.
Before this, Budenholzer, 54, had spent 27 consecutive years as an NBA coach: 10 as a head coach (5 with Bucks, 5 with Atlanta Hawks) and 17 as an assistant coach (all with San Antonio Spurs). During this time, he won one NBA championship as a head coach with the Bucks in 2021 and four with the Spurs as an assistant. Budenholzer was also a two-time recipient of the NBA Coach of the Year (in 2015 with Atlanta and in 2019 with Milwaukee).
But, Budenholzer was not with any NBA organization last season after his firing from Milwaukee. When asked about how he spent his time off, Budenholzer was brought to tears reflecting on his year away.
“I think this year for me was really healthy,” Budenholzer said. “I kind of had a list of priorities. Diving into my kids, and my family, super important. And we’ve been through a lot. So really, the time with my kids was just amazing. My son’s a senior in high school, going to every one of his games, was just, you drive home, ‘Like, wow, I got a gift.’ So diving into family and kids was awesome. Trying to get healthy, like taking put time into my body, my mind, my spirit, everything.
“I’m in a great place. I feel really good. Did some amazing traveling, went to some places in the world that were just awesome. And then, did some basketball like a little bit. I tried to keep it in its place. I tried to stay relevant with it, aware of it, but also know how important those other three things were to me.”
However, for Budenholzer, coaching now takes a front seat for his life.
“I don’t ever want to do it again,” Budenholzer said of his year off. “I mean, the kids and the traveling and the family’s all good. But I’d like to keep coaching as much and long as I can.”
Mike Budenholzer tears up at opportunity to coach his hometown Suns
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
