Adrian Griffin was classy in his first comments since being fired by the Bucks.
Despite leading the team to a 30-13 record, which is the second-best in the NBA, Griffin was fired as the Bucks’ head coach on Tuesday just 43 games into his tenure.
“I appreciate the opportunity the Bucks gave me,” Griffin told Bleacher Report. “You can’t control everything. I feel good about the job we did. I appreciate my coaching staff for all their hard work.”
The Bucks quickly replaced Griffin, hiring Doc Rivers on Wednesday.
Griffin had just been hired over the summer to replace Mike Budenholzer.
Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was reportedly heavily involved in Griffin’s hiring, but reports that Griffin was already losing the locker room began emerging midseason.
Griffin’s tenure is tied for the third-shortest all time for full-time coaches.
Bucks assistant Joe Prunty was named the interim coach before the Rivers news came out.
Griffin had served as an assistant with the Bucks, Bulls, Magic, Thunder and Raptors before landing Milwaukee’s head coaching job this past offseason.
“I always wanted to be a head coach in this league,” Griffin said Tuesday. “I couldn’t have asked for a better roster. I got to coach Giannis, Dame [Lillard], Khris [Middleton], Brook [Lopez]. Dream come true. Hopefully I get another shot at it, but overall, I’m just thankful.”
Rivers, who was in his first season working as analyst for ESPN’s top NBA broadcast team, quickly emerged as the frontrunner for the job.
Earlier in the season, the Bucks had reached out to Rivers to see if he’d be a veteran voice to help Griffin through his first season, according to The Athletic, and the two sat down during the team’s trip to Las Vegas for the In-Season Tournament.
Now, a guiding voice for Griffin is taking his job.
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