Getty Giannis Antetokounmpo
After the Milwaukee Bucks dismissed head coach Adrian Griffin, NBA Insider Marc Stein revealed why the Bucks hired him over the offseason. More specifically, he reported that Giannis Antetokounmpo wanted Griffin over NBA champion Nick Nurse as head coach.
“League sources say now that the desire to play for Griffin is better described as a determination to play for someone other than Nick Nurse,” Stein reported in a January 23 story.
Stein added that the Bucks wanted Nurse following their disappointing 2023 playoff run, but Antetokounmpo wanted otherwise.
“Nurse was among the candidates that the Bucks had high on their list after a five-game drubbing by No. 8-seeded Miami in the first round of last season’s playoffs, which led to Budenholzer’s ouster after five seasons in charge and, of course, Milwaukee’s first championship since 1971.
“But sources say that Antetokounmpo wanted the Bucks to go in a different direction and thus chose to champion Griffin.”
Stein did not elaborate on why Antetokounmpo preferred not to have Nurse as coach. Instead, Nurse went to the Philadelphia 76ers, who aren’t too far behind the Bucks in the Eastern Conference standings. The Sixers are half a game behind the Bucks for the No. 2 seed at 29-13.
Bucks Want Doc Rivers as Next Head Coach: Report
Following Griffin’s firing, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported via his X account that Doc Rivers is a “serious candidate” to replace him.
Doc Rivers has emerged as a serious candidate to become the Milwaukee Bucks new head coach, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
Charania, Eric Nehm, and Sam Amick reported that Rivers had been working for the Bucks prior to Griffin’s firing.
“League sources say Doc Rivers, who signed on as an ESPN analyst after getting fired by Philadelphia in May, began to serve as an informal consultant to Griffin at the behest of the Bucks. One month later, multiple sources briefed on the matter now indicate that Rivers is the serious leader for the now-vacant position, and the preferred choice of key stakeholders,” Charania, Amick, and Nehm wrote in a January 23 story.
Nothing is official yet, but the three reported that the Bucks and Rivers have discussed him being their next coach. They have another candidate in mind in case Rivers passes.
“The Bucks have started discussions with Rivers to become the new head coach of the franchise, league sources said. Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson, who was a runner-up to Griffin in the Bucks’ head coaching search last year, is a candidate for the job as well if the team is unable to secure a deal with Rivers,” The Athletic wrote.
There have been no reports on whether Giannis Antetokounmpo factors into who the Bucks’ next coach is.
Milwaukee’s Other Coaching Candidates
Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes reported that while the Bucks want Rivers first and foremost, they have two other coaching candidates in mind besides Rivers and Atkinson.
“At this point, the Bucks are zeroing in on Doc Rivers to replace Griffin, sources say. Rivers is currently serving as a color commentator for ESPN,” Haynes reported in a January 23 story. “Milwaukee has also formulated a short list of candidates that includes Jeff Van Gundy and Nate McMillan, sources say.”
Time will tell how long the Bucks will take before they make a decision.