NBA
League sources say that Giannis Antetokounmpo wants Adrian Griffin to be Milwaukee’s next head coach
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated24 May 2023
After five seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, head coach Mike Budenholzer was fired. Upper management must have thought that their 4-1 loss in the first round to the #8 seed Heat was inexcusable. Milwaukee was the #1 seed in the East and had the NBA’s best record this season. Now, league sources say that Giannis Antetokounmpo wants Adrian Griffin to be Milwaukee’s next head coach.
Earlier this week, it was announced that the Bucks narrowed down their coaching search to three final candidates. They are former Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, former Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson, and Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin.
John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports has reported that Giannis Antetokounmpo has a preferred choice for the head coach. He likes Adrian Griffin, but he’s not the only person making the decision. The GM, owner, and Giannis all need to be happy. Otherwise, Antetokounmpo’s future with the team could be in question.
Saw this #Bucks rumor on Instagram from @Gambo987. pic.twitter.com/VaEvk0MpnY
— Max Margulis (@MaxsAllStars) May 23, 2023
Will Adrian Griffin be the next head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks?
While Adrian Griffin seems to be Giannis Antetokounmpo’s choice for head coach, a number of factors are still in play. Each of the final three candidates is going to meet with Milwaukee’s front office. Griffin has coached for the Raptors, Thunder, Magic, Bulls, and Bucks in over 12 years of NBA experience. He was also a player in the league from 2000-2008.
The organization has to keep the overall team in mind, but they also want to make their superstar happy. Giannis is under contract with the Bucks for the next two seasons and then has a player option in 2025-26. He’s a pivotal piece of their franchise and they clearly have his thoughts in mind.
Clearly, Giannis is not a fan of the other two finalists. Kenny Atkinson may be out of luck if he doesn’t get the job with Milwaukee. On the other hand, Nurse seems to have multiple options and interviews in the near future. He’s a finalist for Phoenix and Milwaukee’s head coaching jobs and has also drawn interest from the 76ers.
