The Milwaukee Bucks received some unwanted news on Thursday after it was revealed that veteran coach Terry Stotts had decided to step down from his role as an assistant coach just months after signing with the team. This was a totally unexpected development, which could now potentially have a significant impact on the Bucks this coming season.
Terry Stotts Steps Down as Milwaukee Bucks Assistant Coach
The details as to why Stotts has decided to leave his post remain unclear. However, there have been reports suggesting that there may have been tension between the 65-year-old and new head coach Adrian Griffin.
There was reportedly one incident that saw Coach Griffin shouting at Stotts after the latter refused to join the team huddle. Stotts reportedly wanted some time to speak with Giannis Anteotokounmpo and Damian Lillard — a request that Griffin reportedly rejected. The incident transpired in front of the entire team.
Be that as it may, there appears to be no hard evidence that this incident or Stotts’ overall relationship with Griffin had anything to do with the former’s decision to leave the Bucks.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst Speaks Out on Stunning Development
ESPN’s NBA guru Brian Windohrst has now chimed in on this stunning turn of events. “had not had a strong relationship before this” and that their union “was sort of a marriage arranged by the team.”
Regardless of Stotts’ motivation behind his decision, the fact of the matter is that the Bucks are now down one good man:
“One of the things that Terry Stotts became extremely valuable in is the Dame Lillard relationship and the onboarding,” Windhorst said. “He was basically going to be in charge of the Bucks’ offense which is where Dame Lillard is expected to be in the centerpiece and to shine. His knowledge of Dame Lillard and all the reps they had together really looked like an unexpected bonus after this trade went down.”
While Windhorst did not provide any information as to why Stotts decided to abruptly leave his post at such a critical part of the preseason, the renowned analyst admits that this could be a major issue for Milwaukee moving forward:
“It’s very surprising to lose your lead assistant just days before the start of the regular season, and it’s obviously going to potentially have some effect on how that team’s going to operate,” Widnhorst said.
Bucks assistant coach Terry Stotts has decided to step down from his role with the team, according to @wojespn. pic.twitter.com/rBTIOSJwp1
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 19, 2023
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Terry Stotts step down from Bucks?
Terry Stotts stepped down from the Bucks due to a personal decision. This was confirmed by The Athletic, which reported an incident between Stotts and Griffin during a shootaround in Oklahoma City. It is important to respect his choice.
Did Brian Windhorst go to school with LeBron?
Yes, Brian Windhorst did go to school with LeBron. He attended Mary High School, the same school that LeBron James would later attend. Windhorst graduated from Kent State University with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism in 2000. Their association began during their high school years.
