Adrian Griffin finds himself out of a job after getting the pink slip from the Milwaukee Bucks. Despite his efforts of leading the team to a respectable 30-13 win-loss record, good for second place in the Eastern Conference, the 49-year-old was let go with reports claiming Milwaukee was looking for a more seasoned coach.
Rather than go off on the Bucks, the former NBA player took everything in stride and was thankful for the opportunity to coach the team when he spoke to Chris Haynes of the Bleacher Report.
![Adrian Griffin holds no grudges and gracefully accepted the Bucks decision to fire him. [photo credit: Milwaukee Bucks Instagram]](http://sportsbytes.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Snapinsta.app_366104031_973739293930106_7965219122238672993_n_1080-e1706079210665.jpg)
“I appreciate the opportunity the Bucks gave me. You can’t control everything,” Griffin said. “I feel good about the job we did. I appreciate my coaching staff for all their hard work. I always wanted to be a head coach in this league. I couldn’t have asked for a better roster. I got to coach Giannis, Dame, Khris, Brook. Dream come true. Hopefully I get another shot at it, but overall, I’m just thankful.”
Team lost faith in Griffin
Although it was initially claimed that Bucks’ management was looking for a veteran coach in preparation for the postseason wars, it appears all signs of a potential parting of ways between Griffin and the team was already brewing.
Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated alleges that there were already rumblings in the past weeks with players already allegedly losing faith in Griffin.
It was a surprising turn of events considering the installation of Griffin as head coach was initially deemed a smart move.
Beyond this, some warning signs happened this year. There was the mysterious resignation of assistant coach Terry Stotts after an incident during a shootaround even before the 2023-24 season started.
During the In-Season tournament, Griffin also had a locker room incident with Bobby Portis. This was after the 28-year-old allegedly called out the former Bucks coach following the team’s loss to the Indiana Pacers in the semifinals of the IST back in December.
“What happens in our locker room is sacred between us. That’s how it’s always been, don’t know how it got reported, but at the same time, I’m just a competitor. I love to compete… I’m here for all the right reasons,” the former Arkansas Razorback said at the time via CBS Sports.
