From the first minutes following the news of the exoneration of Adrian Griffin by the Milwaukee Bucks, various sources pointed to the team’s veterans, including. Giannis Antetokounmpo, as instigators of the decision. In fact, the Greek and some teammates allegedly lost confidence in the coach, leading the management to change technical leadership. For the first time this season last night the Bucks went on the court without coach Griffin, replaced for the moment by his deputy Prunty and in the coming days on a permanent basis by Doc Rivers. Milwaukee won 116-126 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, going up 31-13 on the season.
After the game of course Giannis was asked about Adrian Griffin’s dismissal: the Bucks superstar, however, denied that he was the cause. On the contrary, he said he was very sorry and stated that these things “are what he doesn’t like about the NBA.”.
This is what I don’t like about the NBA, it’s a crazy business. Yesterday Coach Griff was our coach, today he is no more and it seems he never was. I don’t like that about the NBA and I talk about it openly. But I understand it, it’s a business. People get traded and cut, they have to change their lives in the snap of a finger. And then there are people out there who create an inaccurate narrative. I try not to fall for it, I don’t want to comment every time whether a news story is true or not, because they will always say something about me or my team.
‘Oh, he didn’t have a good relationship with Griffin.’ False, I loved him. I invited him to my wedding, you know? We talked, he coached me, and we were doing very, very well. In these situations you have to understand that when someone is hired, sometimes the GM comes and asks what you think. Not only to me, in general to the players and the people he trusts. But sometimes they make it sound like the players made that decision. But no, I have a job. My job is to play my best and make this team win games.
Then the Greek continued:
I don’t get paid to change people’s lives and make them uncomfortable. I get paid to defend, to stop and I try to do that as much as I can. Because I understand that I don’t like that aspect. There are people who get paid to make those decisions, and they are tough decisions. I respect Jon [Horst, GM dei Bucks, ndr], but I don’t want to be involved in these situations.
Have I been asked for an opinion? Yes, many times. But I was not involved in the hiring of Coach Griffin.. I talked to him as I had talked to Coach Budenholzer, but on that occasion no one had said I was involved because I was a kid. They asked me for my opinion and I said he seemed good, a good person. They are all good people, but I am not the decider. Don’t get me wrong, that doesn’t bother me, I just try to think about basketball.