The Milwaukee Bucks made the decision to hire lifelong assistant Adrian Griffin as their next coach.
That was a bit shocking, considering they could’ve also hired Nick Nurse or Kenny Atkinson, who both had some previous experience as coaches.
That’s why Shams Charania of The Athletic recently revealed that Giannis Antetokounmpo’s input had a lot to do with their decision, as all the coaching candidates actually met one-on-one with him before the team made any signings.
“Adrian Griffin, new head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks… The fact that Giannis wanted him so much – you have to take his voice strongly into account.”@ShamsCharania on Giannis endorsing #Bucks to hire Adrian Griffin as their new head coach 🤝#FearTheDeer | #RunItBack pic.twitter.com/5mVOlQomYw
— FanDuel TV (@FanDuelTV) May 30, 2023
Needless to say, keeping Giannis happy will be at the top of the Bucks’ priority list for years to come, especially in this key offseason.
Griffin has been a part of multiple coaching staff throughout the course of his career, so it’s not like he’s the average rookie coach.
The Bucks are also looking to keep their championship core together, as both Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton could pursue new deals somewhere else.
Milwaukee won the NBA championship just a couple of years ago, and it feels like their core could still make a deep postseason run if they stay healthy.
But the new ownership will also have to sort things out financially, as they could be looking at historically high penalties for going over the luxury tax for the third year in a row.
That doesn’t bode well for their future and they’re not a young team by any means, which is perhaps why the team chose to keep Giannis happy with his new coach before making some uncomfortable decisions for their roster.
NEXT: The Milwaukee Bucks Have Hired A New Head Coach
