Draymond Green Questions NBA’s Decision on Adrian Griffin’s All-Star Coaching Role

On his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show,” Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green delved into the recent dismissal of Adrian Griffin by the Milwaukee Bucks and its impact on the 2024 All-Star Game. Griffin, who was on the verge of coaching the Eastern Conference in the All-Star Game, was let go by the Bucks despite leading them to an impressive 30-13 record.

Green expressed his bafflement at the decision, drawing parallels with player trades and their retained status as All-Stars. He argued, “If a player got traded today, but they’re an All-Star, guess what, they’re still going to be an All-Star.”

He questioned why the same principle wouldn’t apply to a coach like Griffin who had accomplished significant milestones before his termination. “So this man gets fired a week and a half, two weeks ago, why shouldn’t he still coach the All-Star team? The work was done, so I don’t quite understand that,” Green stated.

To illustrate his point, Green cited Pascal Siakam’s hypothetical trade scenario, emphasizing that Siakam would remain an All-Star despite a team change. However, Griffin’s situation differs fundamentally as his firing left him without an NBA contract, unlike a player who remains under contract even after a trade.

Doc Rivers, with a record of 1-3 since joining the Bucks, has been appointed to coach the Eastern Conference in the All-Star Game. Rivers himself acknowledged the awkwardness of the situation and expressed his intention to discuss potential alternatives with NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

In addition to his views on Griffin, Green also shed light on his own career decisions. In an interview with The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, Green revealed that he contemplated joining the Memphis Grizzlies before re-signing a four-year, $100 million contract with the Warriors.
This move, he believed, would have been an excellent fit, given his defensive skills and leadership, complementing the young Grizzlies team led by Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr.