Jusuf Nurkic reveals what went wrong with the Suns during Mike Budenholzer's stint
Nurkic said the Suns’ 36-46 season exposed a strained coach-player dynamic, and he accused Budenholzer of provoking players in one-on-one meetings.
- On Monday, former Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic alleged that former head coach Mike Budenholzer was an 'alcohol addict' during the 2024-25 season, making the claims during an interview on X&Os Chat posted May 31.
- Disappointing results defined the 2024-25 season, as the Suns finished 36-46, prompting owner Mat Ishbia to fire Budenholzer despite a roster featuring Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal.
- Calling the system 'absurd,' Nurkic alleged Budenholzer held one-on-one meetings to provoke players and tried explaining scoring to Durant: 'That's like explaining to a pilot how to fly a plane.'
- Budenholzer remains unemployed while the Suns owe him roughly $10 million per season for the next three years unless he takes a coaching position elsewhere.
- With new leadership under head coach Jordan Ott, Phoenix won 45 games and returned to the playoffs this year, with Ott finishing fifth in the 2025-26 NBA Coach of the Year voting.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Jusuf Nurkic slammed for calling his former head coach an 'alcohol addict'
Jan 9, 2018; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Portland Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic (27) warms up prior to action against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic had a telling revelation about his former head coach during his time with the Phoenix Suns. During a recent appearance on the X&Os Chat with Edin Avdic, the veteran NBA big man issued a blunt criti…
Kevin Durant’s Ex-Teammate Reveals Championship-Winning Coach’s ‘Alcoholic’ Concerns: “That Side of Him Came Out”
Jusuf Nurkic invited his new head coach to spend the summer training with him at his facility in Split, Croatia. Ahead of the 2024-25 season, he told reporters that the man had been “all about his words” from day one, and different from any coach he had played under. Nurkic said he didn’t doubt the invitation would be accepted, but acknowledged it was still the NBA, where people “say a lot of things you want to hear.” What he didn’t anticipate w…
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