Sinibak na ng Indiana Pacers ang kanilang head coach na si Nate McMillan matapos ang apat na seasons.
Ito’y makaraang tanggapin ng Pacers ang dalawang sunod na pagkabigo sa first round ng playoffs sa NBA.
Ang president of basketball operations ng Pacers na si Kevin Pritchard ang nagkumpirma sa pagkakasibak kay McMillan.
“This was a very hard decision for us to make; but we feel it’s in the best interest of the organization to move in a different direction,” wika ni Pritchard. “Nate and I have been through the good times and the bad times and it was an honor to work with him for those 11 years.”
Sinasabing nakagugulat ang naging pasya ng Indiana dahil noong Agosto 12 ay inanunsyo ni Pritchard na binigyan nila si McMillan ng isang taong extension ng kanyang kontrata bilang mentor ng team.
Bago bigyan ng contract extension, pinuri ni Pritchard si McMillan dahil sa kakayahan nitong dalhin sa playoffs ang koponan kahit na maraming manlalaro ang nasa listahan ng may injury gaya ni Victor Oladipo.
Kaugnay nito, ikinagalit ni Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra ang pagtanggal kay McMillan.
“It seems totally ridiculous,” sabi ni Spoelstra. “It seems like you’re talking out of both sides of your mouth. Just two weeks ago at the beginning of our series, you’re giving him an extension – but really it’s just a media fake extension to appease whatever they felt like they needed to appease.”
