Another day, another Woj Bomb. Two days after the Milwaukee Bucks were dealt a near 20-point loss at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the organization would be parting ways with head coach Jason Kidd.
The news, which according to a number of sources reached the public before Kidd’s own ears, marks the end of a four-year run with Kidd holding the Bucks by their antlers. In that span Milwaukee has amassed a 139-152 record and two trips to the NBA Playoffs.
Kidd’s post-playing career has been tumultuous at best. Despite ushering in one of the NBA’s premier talents in Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kidd has lived a shifty existence as bench maestro. His coaching legacy is speckled with infractions, such as his infamous “hit me” fiasco in which Kidd directed then Brooklyn Net Tyshawn Taylor to bump him so he could spill his drink and secure a timeout when he had none remaining.
Even securing the Milwaukee coaching job was something of a Kidd anomaly. In 2014, still under contract as the head coach of the Nets, Kidd pursued the Bucks coaching spot while it was still occupied by Larry Drew, breaking an unwritten rule among coaches.
As it stands, the Bucks are prime for the sure-to-be-tight Eastern Conference playoff race, currently sitting in 8th place with a 23-22 record. Whether Kidd’s firing will spark a renaissance in Milwaukee or send the young team spiraling is anyone’s guess, but Milwaukee will need to lean on the leadership of All-Star talent Antetokounmpo to finish the season.