MILWAUKEE — Giannis Antetokounmpo made his first statement Wednesday since the Milwaukee Bucks hired Adrian Griffin as the new head coach.
The Bucks MVP shared a photo on Twitter and Instagram Tuesday of his son and Griffin, saying, "Welcome to the family, coach."
Welcome to the family coach 🙏🏾💪🏾😂 pic.twitter.com/HmmVj4Ozsm
— Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) June 14, 2023
Giannis had not publicly commented on the hire until now, but it's reported that he vouched for Griffin during the hiring process.
According to an NBA Insider for Bleacher Report, Giannis met with Griffin during the interview process and vouched for him to become the next coach.
Prior to being hired with the Bucks, Griffin had never been a head coach but had been an assistant for the Bulls, Magic, Thunder, Raptors, and the Bucks.
As TMJ4 News previously reported, Griffin, has signed a roughly $4 million multiyear deal and already began his coaching duties, according to a report from The Athletic.
The report also says Griffin and the Bucks are working towards getting veteran assistants for the coaching staff. Potential candidates include James Borrego, the former Charlotte Hornets coach, as well as Terry Stotts, the ex-Portland Trail Blazers coach.
The news comes after the Bucks dismissed coach Mike Budenholzer after five seasons with the team. It also comes after the Bucks, the East's top-seed, suffered a first-round playoff loss to the Miami Heat. The Bucks were the sixth 1-seed in NBA history to lose to an 8-seed.
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