"The man was an alcoholic! He scheduled meetings just to provoke people!" Jusuf Nurkić levels serious accusations against former coach!
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The former Suns center criticized Budenholzer's coaching style and shared harsh remarks about the team's internal atmosphere.
"The situation we were in, the environment... And then you find out, well, I don't know if I should say this. But the man was an alcoholic. He really had problems with that," Nurkić said during an appearance on the "X&O Chat" podcast.
"He was explaining to Durant how to score!"
Jusuf Nurkić also described what he called unusual interactions between Budenholzer and key Suns players, including Kevin Durant.
He was literally explaining to Kevin Durant how to score. If he was telling that to me, or Gordon, or Royce O'Neale, or Grayson Allen, fine, but explaining to Kevin Durant how to score? That's like explaining to a pilot how to fly a plane.
He added that, from his perspective, the entire team structure and communication did not seem effective.
"Not just to me, but the whole system seemed absurd to everyone," Nurkić stated.
"He scheduled meetings just to provoke people"
Nurkić also suggested that some of Budenholzer's individual conversations with players were difficult and at times confrontational.
He would schedule one-on-one meetings. Just to provoke people. He would tell Bradley Beal, Grayson Allen: "You have no idea, you need to be this, you need to be that..." I mean, you're sitting there and you can't believe what you're hearing.
Budenholzer, a two-time NBA Coach of the Year and 2021 champion with the Milwaukee Bucks, was brought in by the Suns to lead an experienced team featuring stars like Durant, Devin Booker, and Beal. However, Phoenix failed to meet expectations during his tenure, struggling with consistency and failing to contend for a title despite their star-studded roster.
"And he drank too much back then too!"
Nurkić also claimed that Budenholzer had issues with alcohol during his previous stint with the team. Nurkić, who joined the Suns in September 2023, referred to speculations he had heard about Budenholzer's past within the organization. Mike Budenholzer previously served as an assistant coach for the Suns from 1996 to 2005.
I think he drank too much back then too. He almost got fired in Phoenix, Nurkić said in an interview with the Bosnian portal "Klix".
The specific context of these alleged "alcohol problems" and potential threats of dismissal is unclear. There are no publicly available reports or statements from Budenholzer or the Suns confirming such incidents during his first engagement with the team. Nurkić's comments appear to be based on rumors or stories circulating within NBA circles.
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