“I invited him to my wedding, you know?” Giannis Antetokounmpo SHUTS DOWN rumors after firing of Adrian Griffin as Bucks coach

Adrian Griffin did not get the respect from the Bucks' superstars, who often complained about schemes despite a 30-13 record.

“I invited him to my wedding, you know?” Giannis Antetokounmpo SHUTS DOWN rumors after firing of Adrian Griffin as Bucks coach

Giannis Antetokounmpo cleared the air during a recent post-match press conference. & Open Source, X)

The firing of Adrian Griffin has not sat well with analysts and basketball fans alike. The Milwaukee Bucks let go of their first-year head coach recently despite the Bucks sitting second in the Eastern Conference with a 30-13 record. Many pointed the finger at Giannis Antetokounmpo.

During the post-match press conference after the win against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Antetokounmpo responded to the allegations. He told Journal Sentinal’s Lori Nickel the following;

I loved the guy. I invited him to my wedding, you know? But ultimately, I don't make that decision.
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Antetokounmpo added that players are not praised when coaches are hired. He denied the notion that he had the power to affect the hiring of coaches. The Greek Freak effectively dismissed the narrative that he had anything to do with the firing of Griffin.

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Antetokounmpo went on to claim that under coach Griffin, the Bucks played very well. The Bucks were 30-13 under Griffin. They were at the top of offensive output in games. But the lack of defense was telling. This led to them scraping past in several games. Analysts called out the Bucks players for not showing a desire to defend. Opponents were getting easy opportunities to score. The Bucks defined their game in previous seasons based on their defensive prowess.

This lack of a defensive gameplan as well as supposedly difficult-to-execute offensive schemes was what led to Griffin’s firing. But what stood out to the fans and media was the apparent lack of respect between the first-year head coach and the superstars.

Damian Lillard allegedly had a difficult time adjusting to Griffin’s offensive game plan. Antetokounmpo’s rift with Griffin time and again has been mentioned in the media.

What next for Antetokounmpo and the Bucks?

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks are in a predicament. Having fired their head coach 43 games into the season is certainly not a good sign. There are only 39 games left in the regular season. The Bucks have to hire someone as soon as possible to set the direction for the team.

Media and fans have been pointing the finger at Giannis Antetokounmpo for his alleged involvement in firing Adrian Griffin
Media and fans have been pointing the finger at Giannis Antetokounmpo for his alleged involvement in firing Adrian Griffin (image via Twitter)

News reports are circulating about Doc Rivers being close to being hired by the Bucks as their new head coach. The famed head coach was a consultant for the Bucks a month ago. GM Jon Horst has not confirmed the deal yet. However, many believe that Rivers made a good impression on the Bucks leadership during his consultation period. If Rivers is hired, the much-acclaimed coach will have to push the team to be better in every department.

Since Lillard was traded in, a championship is the only goal for this season. Antetokounmpo clarified that he did not have a hand in the firing of Griffin. It was the leadership group’s decision based on the ultimate goal.

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