(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
NBA teams usually go the extra mile to keep their superstars happy.
They don’t make any big moves before consulting with their best players; it’s just the way this business goes.
That’s why most people believed Giannis Antetokounmpo had something to do with Adrian Griffin getting fired mid-season, especially considering the fact that he was involved in the coaching-hiring process.
Nonetheless, the former MVP claimed that the move ‘caught him by surprise’ and that he had no say in it, adding that he wasn’t even consulted (via TMZ).
“[It] Caught me by surprise,” said Giannis. “We were 30 and 13. I gotta trust the front office; I gotta trust the ownership group that they can see the bigger picture.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo Surprised By Adrian Griffin Firing, Claims No Say In Decision | Click to read more 👇 https://t.co/D5sGLXqxUq
— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) January 25, 2024
Giannis stated that he trusts the front office and their ability to see the bigger picture, adding that all the reports about him having a bad relationship with Griffin were ‘false’ and that he ‘even invited him to his wedding.’
Still, a report by Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated claimed that Giannis and several veterans weren’t so sold on the coach.
There have been steady rumblings for weeks in NBA circles that several Bucks veterans, including Giannis, had lost faith in Griffin. What appeared to be smart hire last spring just never worked out.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) January 23, 2024
Griffin led the team to a solid record, but their once-elite defense had taken a major dip since losing Jrue Holiday and Mike Budenholzer.
That might not seem like much of a surprise, as replacing one of the best perimeter defenders in the game with Damian Lillard, who’s never been known for his defensive prowess, was obviously going to take a toll on the team.
Even so, not many teams would’ve fired a coach midway through the season despite being in second place, so perhaps something else transpired.
What we can be sure of, though, is that this move didn’t catch their absolute best player — who repeatedly called out his team this season — by surprise.
Not by a mile.
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