The Bucks shocked the NBA world on Tuesday as the franchise sensationally fired head coach Adrian Griffin, just 43 games into the season and he has since spoken about being let go.
Milwaukee have the second-best record in the East (30-13), but that didn’t matter, because veteran stars like Giannis had reportedly “lost faith” in Griffin’s ability.
“I appreciate the opportunity the Bucks gave me,” Griffin told B/R. “You can’t control everything. I feel good about the job we did. I appreciate my coaching staff for all their hard work.”
Griffin’s tenure is tied for the third-shortest all-time for full-time coaches in NBA history.
He was a previous assistant at the Bucks, Bulls, Magic, Thunder, and Raptors for the last 16 seasons.
“I always wanted to be a head coach in this league,” Griffin said. “I couldn’t have asked for a better roster. I got to coach Giannis, Dame [Lillard], Khris [Middleton], Brook [Lopez]. Dream come true. Hopefully, I get another shot at it, but overall, I’m just thankful.”
The 2021 championship franchise wasted no time in hiring a replacement for Griffin, as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that former 76ers head coach Doc Rivers will take over.
Rivers had been on the Bucks’ radar for sometime, according to The Athletic, who reported “that last May, [Rivers] began to serve as an informal consultant to Griffin at the behest of the Bucks.”
A sitdown between Rivers and the then-Bucks head coach also occurred before the team’s trip to Las Vegas for the In-Season Tournament.
Rivers has moved on from being let go by the Sixers and was an ESPN analyst at that time, though it was believed that he “could offer Griffin advice and guidance on how to navigate his first NBA season with high expectations and a championship-caliber team.”