A member of the Lute Olson coaching tree could branch out to Milwaukee, after the Bucks interviewed former Arizona Wildcat Joseph Blair on Wednesday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Blair just finished his second season as an assistant coach with the Washington Wizards under Wes Unseld Jr.
At the UA, Blair averaged 10.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game as a center and helped the Wildcats reach the Final Four in 1994, before playing overseas in Europe. Blair's first coaching stint was a graduate assistant role for two seasons under former Arizona head coach Sean Miller from 2013-15.
Blair steered his coaching career into the professional ranks as an assistant coach with the Houston Rockets' G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, under Tucson native Matt Brase, who is Olson's grandson. Blair took over as head coach for Brase, who was on the Rockets' staff with Mike D'Antoni, in 2018. Blair led the Vipers to a G League championship in 2019.
Since Blair's title with the Vipers, he's held assistant roles with the Philadelphia 76ers, Minnesota Timberwolves and now the Wizards, coaching notable NBA big men such as Joel Embiid, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rui Hachimura. If the Bucks hire Blair, he'll shoulder the task of coaching champion and former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Wizards acting head coach Joseph Blair, left, talks with guard Bradley Beal during the second half. Blair helped Arizona to the 1994 Final Four.
Blair was an interim head coach for one game last season, when the Wizards had two coaches, including Unseld, test positive for COVID-19; Washington beat the Sixers 117-98.
Blair has been outspoken about his vegan lifestyle and dedicated his Instagram account this past season to creating content that features different vegan restaurants in NBA cities.
"When you look at the exploitation of other creatures, I think that’s more powerful for me than the health portion of it. You can argue with me about what’s good or bad for you, but I think we can all agree that nothing should have to die for me to live," Blair told the Star in December. "That’s how I live now. Conscious living and knowing that I’m not causing death is something that I’m proud of.”
Blair also noted “I take my veganism how I take my religion."
"I’m not going to constantly throw it in your face, but if you ask me about it, you better be ready to listen," he said. "I won’t say it at all, then they find out and go, ‘Wait, you’re vegan?’ ‘Yep.’ ‘How long?’ ‘Seven years.’ They’re absolutely shocked. They always ask me, ‘Well, where do you get your protein?’ ‘Do I look protein deficient?’ Vegans are supposed to look unhealthy, super skinny and not athletic, but here I am, 6-10, 255 pounds and healthier than a lot of guys who’ve played on my teams. I’m still in better shape than a lot of guys who are younger than me."
The Bucks also interviewed Houston Cougars head coach Kelvin Sampson on Wednesday, per Wojnarowski. Milwaukee recently fired Mike Budenholzer after five seasons at the helm, posting a 263-119 record and winning the NBA championship in 2021.
