According to reports, Giannis Antetokounmpo attended Adrian Griffin’s last head coaching interview with the Milwaukee Bucks. After the eighth-seeded Miami Heat humiliatingly eliminated the team from the first round of the playoffs the previous year, Griffin was named Mike Budenholzer’s replacement. When Milwaukee hired the former NBA journeyman, he was a highly sought-after name in coaching circles.

After leading the Bucks to a 30-13 record, Griffin was let go by the Bucks on January 23, 2024. Milwaukee was on a seven-game winning streak and was tied for second place in the Eastern Conference with the Boston Celtics. It was insufficient because the front staff probably believed the former assistant coach of the Toronto Raptors couldn’t win a championship.

Following the Milwaukee Bucks’ 126-116 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo addressed the media. He spoke for four minutes about the departure of Adrian Griffin.

This is the aspect of the NBA that I find objectionable. It’s an absurd industry. Coach Griff was our head coach yesterday. He’s not today. And when we enter, it appears as though he has never been. That’s something I dislike about the NBA.

Additionally, Antetokounmpo refuted reports that he had a falling out with his last coach:

Untrue. I was in love with the man. You know, I invited him to my wedding. I had a conversation with him. He was my coach, and we performed incredibly well together. Sometimes it seems like the players are in charge and this man was traded because we wanted him, but it’s not like that. I don’t get paid to uplift people’s spirits or cause them discomfort.”

Adrian Griffin was replaced by former Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Doc Rivers, which was chosen by the Milwaukee Bucks. It’s interesting to note that Griffin supposedly looked to Rivers for guidance this season.

The Bucks defense, which many believe is still the key to a championship, will be Rivers’ top priority. Milwaukee has been the best in that regard for a very long time under the Giannis Antetokounmpo era.

This season, the Bucks rank second in offensive rating behind the Indiana Pacers, while they rank twenty-first in defensive efficiency. With the start of the second half of the season, Milwaukee is hopeful Rivers can help the team perform better there.

Giannis Antetokounmpo maintains that he is not the Bucks’ executive leader

Without a doubt, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the guy the Milwaukee Bucks have built and continue to develop their organization around. “The Greek Freak” absolutely disproved the notion that elite athletes make the executive decisions when it comes to him:

“I try to keep to it as much as I can since I am paid to defend and block shots. Some are highly compensated for making difficult judgments, and those decisions are made by others. For my part, I’d rather not get engaged in it. They are decent people in the end, but I don’t [make the decisions]. I just make an effort to play basketball.

People will always assume that Antetokounmpo, being one of the greatest players of all time and a franchise player, is involved in executive decisions. Though he can’t control it, the MVP front-runner can still attempt to guide the Bucks to yet another championship. Whoever calls the plays from the bench will probably have the most influence over the Bucks’ post-season destiny.