MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Bucks officially announced the hire of Adrian Griffin as the team's new head coach.
LIVE: Watch Tuesday press conference with Griffin below:
The former Toronto Raptors assistant coach will be the Bucks' 17th head coach. He brings 15 seasons of NBA coaching experience to the team.
“I’m incredibly honored and grateful to Wes, Jamie, Dee, Jimmy and Jon to be named the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks,” said Griffin. “The Bucks are a championship organization and I’m thrilled to work with an established roster of high character and talented players. I’m excited to be back in Milwaukee and I can’t wait to get started.”
Smiling because we got our guy.
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) June 6, 2023
😃 @BubonOrtho pic.twitter.com/DlKFEqrZbv
According to a statement from the Bucks, "In Griffin’s time as an assistant coach, the Raptors finished in the league’s top 10 of both defensive rating and fewest points allowed per game in four of his five seasons, including in 2019-20 when they allowed a league-low 106.5 points per game. He was part of the development of a young core of players that included the league’s Most Improved Player, the NBA Rookie of the Year and four players who made six All-Star appearances."
Griffin previously spent two seasons as an assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2016-18. His experience also includes stops as an assistant coach with the Orlando Magic (2015-16), Chicago Bulls (2010-15), and the Bucks (2008-10).
Griffin was part of teams that made the playoffs 11 times in his 15 seasons as an assistant coach, with two Conference Finals appearances and he won an NBA title with the Raptors in 2019.
Prior to his coaching career, he had a nine-year NBA playing career with Boston, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, and Seattle.
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 reportalso 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 hire 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.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
