Giannis Antetokounmpo breaks silence on ex-Bucks HC Adrian Griffin’s firing with 4-minute rant
Giannis Antetokounmpo was reportedly present in Adrian Griffin’s final head-coaching interview with the Milwaukee Bucks. Griffin was Mike Budenholzer's replacement after an embarrassing first-round exit at the hands of the eighth-seeded Miami Heat in last year’s playoffs. The former NBA journeyman was a sought-after name in coaching circles when Milwaukee hired him.
On Jan. 23, 2024, the Bucks decided to dismiss Griffin despite leading the Bucks to a 30-13 record. Milwaukee was sitting second behind the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference and was on a seven-game winning streak. It wasn’t enough as the front office likely thought the former Toronto Raptors assistant coach couldn't lead them to a championship.
After leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a 126-116 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, the two-time MVP spoke to reporters. He had a four-minute spiel about the Adrian Griffin dismissal:
“This is the thing that I don’t like about the NBA. It’s a crazy business. Yesterday, Coach Griff was our head coach. Today, he’s not. And we walk in here and it’s like he was never here. I don’t like that about the NBA."
Antetokounmpo also shut down rumors that he wasn’t on good terms with his former coach:
“False. I loved the guy. I invited him to my wedding, you know? I talked with him. I was coached by him and we did very, very, very well. … At times, they make it seem like it’s the players that are making the decision and this guy got traded because we wanted him, but like no. … I don’t get paid to change people’s lives and make people uncomfortable."
The Milwaukee Bucks decided to hire former Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Doc Rivers to replace Adrian Griffin. Interestingly enough, Griffin had been reportedly leaning on Rivers for advice this season.
Rivers’ most pressing need will be to improve the Bucks’ defense, which is still the biggest key to their championship. Milwaukee has been elite on that end during the Giannis Antetokounmpo era.
The Bucks are 21st in defensive efficiency this season while their offense is second, behind only the Indiana Pacers in offensive rating. Milwaukee is hoping Rivers can improve its performance on that end, particularly with the second part of the season starting.
Giannis Antetokounmpo insists he doesn’t make executive decisions for Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo is unquestionably the player the Milwaukee Bucks have built their franchise on. Despite the assumption that superstar players make the executive decisions, “The Greek Freak” unequivocally refuted that belief when it concerns him:
“I get paid to defend, block shots and I try to stick to that as much as I can. … There’s people that get paid a lot of money to make those decisions and those decisions are hard. … Personally, I don't want to get involved in that. … Ultimately, they’re good people…but I don’t [make the decisions]. I just try to stick to basketball.”
Regardless of who designs the plays from the bench, Antetokounmpo will likely have the biggest say on where the Bucks end up at the end of the season.