The Milwaukee Bucks surprised a lot of people today announcing the firing of head coach Jason Kidd.
Including Giannis Antetokounmpo perhaps.
ESPN's Ramona Shelburne is reporting that Antetokounmpo offered to help save Kidd's job 15 minutes before it was announced that he was fired.
Kidd says Antetokounmpo replied, “‘What can I do? I'll call the owners, I'll call my agent.”
Kidd said he told him, “There's nothing you can do. All you can do is tell the truth. That's it.”
This says a lot about what Antetokounmpo feels about the decision. It's obviously a tough one for him to understand and he clearly had a positive relationship with Kidd.
That's not necessarily the case for all of the Bucks players, namely Jabari Parker, the former No. 2 overall pick who is nearing a return from injury and reportedly has had his relationship with Kidd destroyed. So Antetokounmpo's approval for Kidd was not enough.
The Bucks are coming out and saying that the firing was purely based on performance. This season, the Bucks sit at 23-22 currently, good for eighth in the Eastern Conference. Last season, they had a record of 42-40 and finished sixth in the conference. So, a little step back so far to start the year despite making a trade for Eric Bledsoe and Antetokounmpo emerging as one of the frontrunners for the MVP award.
While the Bucks search for a replacement for Kidd, assistant Jon Prunty will serve as the interim coach. Monty Williams and Mark Jackson have so far been rumored as potential replacements.
The decision the Bucks make on who will replace Kidd feels even more important now because the last thing they want to happen is poison Antetokounmpo's feelings surrounding the organization.
Follow Us
Subscribe