'Grateful For My Past!' Ex-Bucks Coach Mike Budenholzer Praises Milwaukee During Press Conference

New Phoenix Suns coach Mike Budenholzer was recently introduced to media in Arizona, and while he was at the podium, he took some time to give thanks to Milwaukee and the other organizations he'd spent time with.

May 17, 2024; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Mike Budenholzer arrives alongside General Manager James Jones. / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

While Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers is excitedly waiting for the beginning of next fall's NBA season to begin, his predecessor is doing the same — only in Arizona instead of Wisconsin.

Mike Budenholzer, the Bucks' championship-winning coach in 2021, recently accepted a position to be the new coach of the higgledy-piggledy Phoenix Suns, bringing with him veteran experience and a hopefully a refreshing sense of leadership.

Boasting a roster featuring Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal certainly seems to be a winning recipe, yet the Suns found little of it. Injuries and disorganized rotations throughout the season made finding a rhythm an arduous task. Add a coach who reportedly lost the locker room by time the home stretch came around, that Phoenix was lost.

Budenholzer has a tall task in front of him. He'll be in charge of finding a way for his squad's three stars to thrive together — and stay healthy — but also work in role players and younger stars to make a well-rounded roster.

For that, he'll have to rely on his past experience, which he made sure to mention in his introductory press conference.

"I want to just thank the ownership in Milwaukee and Atlanta," Budenholzer said in a quick aside. "They trusted me. They've helped me grow. I'm appreciative of them and the players ... they're special, they're talented and they allowed me to coach them."

May 17, 2024; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Mike Budenholzer speaks alongside General Manager James Jones during a press conference to announce his job as head coach of the Phoenix Suns. / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Budenholzer has worked with players the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Tim Duncan, been the NBA's Coach of the Year twice and won a title throughout his extensive career. Whether as an assistant or a head coach, he's been around the league plenty. And he knows it.

"All of these people have put me in (this) position," Budenholzer said. "I'm grateful for my past. That put me in a position to be the head coach of the Phoenix Suns."

As Budenholzer prepares for another NBA season at the helm of a franchise, he'll craft a new gameplan to try and get Phoenix back to the top of the Western Conference. For that, he'll pioneer some fresh methods, but also rely on what he knows best as a seasoned veteran.

And whatever that ends up looking like in Phoenix, he's excited.

Really excited.

"My future?" Budenholzer postulated, likely imagining himself on the sidelines at Footprint Center. "Wow. How excited I am. It's crazy. It's freaking exciting."