Doc Rivers went from helping guide Adrian Griffin in his first NBA head coaching job to the man who is the frontrunner to replace him.
In quite a twist, the Bucks front office had reached out to Rivers earlier in the season to see if he’d serve as a veteran coaching voice to help Griffin, according to a report by The Athletic.
A sitdown between Rivers and the then-Bucks head coach occurred before the team’s trip to Las Vegas for the NBA In-Season Tournament, and it was believed that Rivers — who was broadcasting for ESPN — “could offer Griffin advice and guidance on how to navigate his first NBA season with high expectations and a championship-caliber team.”
Griffin was let go by the Bucks on Tuesday in a surprise move as the organization attempts to right the ship in time for Milwaukee to compete for an NBA championship this season.
While the Bucks were 30-13 at the time of the firing, it was reported by Sports Illustrated that several team veterans, including star Giannis Antetokounmpo, had “lost faith” in the rookie head coach.
The Bucks have reached out to Rivers to see about his interest in the job, and the two sides have had discussions, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The Athletic reported that former Nets coach and Long Island native Kenny Atkinson is a candidate for the gig as well if Rivers falls through.
TNT indicated that the Bucks plan on contacting Jeff Van Gundy and Nate McMillan.
Joe Prunty has taken on the role of interim head coach for the Bucks for the time being.
Rivers certainly comes with a resume, which includes 25 years of experience coaching at the NBA level and a championship in 2007-08 when he was leading the Celtics.
