Giannis Antetokounmpo Breaks Silence on Adrian Griffin’s Firing
The superstar forward cleared the air and gave his thoughts on the first-year head coach's firing.
By Jovan Alford
The Milwaukee Bucks surprisingly fired head coach Adrian Griffin on Tuesday despite the team being 17 games (30-13) over .500. Milwaukee replaced Griffin with former Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers, who was an “informal consultant” for the first-year head coach this season.
When the Bucks made the shocking decision to part ways with Griffin, it was reported by Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated that several veterans, including superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo “lost faith” in him.
Bucks News: Giannis Speaks Out After Adrian Griffin's Firing
Antetokounmpo was asked about Griffin’s firing Wednesday and said, “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.”
During Giannis Antetokounmpo's postgame press conference tonight, @LoriNickel asked Giannis if Bucks coach Adrian Griffin getting dismissed felt any different to him because he was involved in the hiring process of Griffin.
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) January 25, 2024
Here is Antetokounmpo's four-minute response: pic.twitter.com/pDfavTIJcM
The two-time NBA MVP’s response was part of an extensive answer, which explained how he felt about the situation. Giannis also made it clear he doesn’t make the decisions in Milwaukee and just sticks to basketball.
“I have a job. My job is to be the best version that I can be and try to lead this team,” Giannis said. “I don’t get paid to change people’s lives and make people uncomfortable.”
It was good to hear Giannis clear up the rumors that were swirling around about Griffin’s firing as most basketball fans were puzzled by the decisions. There was more Antetokounmpo touched on after the game as the Bucks look to move forward with Rivers.
Rivers has his flaws as a head coach, but the Bucks will try to finish the first half of the regular season strong and hopefully make a deep playoff run.
Milwaukee hasn't played its best basketball this season despite being one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference. However, they still have the second best odds to win the East (+220 on FanDuel Sportsbook) and will be a favorite to be playing for a title this summer.
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