Giannis Antetokounmpo uncomofortable when he learned about Jason Kidd being fired from the Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach position
Giannis Antetokounmpo ‘uneasy’ at Jason Kidd being fired by Milwaukee Bucks.
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has talked in public this Wednesday for the 1st time since Jason Kidd’s firing as Bucks coach on Monday, saying he wishes what the two had discussed didnt make the newspapers and news sites.
Antetokounmpo acknowledged calling Kidd about 15 minutes before the administration at Bucks officially notified him of his firing.
When Giannis was asked about what he said, Antetokounmpo declined to comment.
Giannis: Wish Kidd converstation had remained private
Giannis Antetokounmpo says he had hoped his talk with Jason Kidd before the coach’s firing Monday had stayed between them.
“It’s kind of uncomfortable, especially for a guy like me,” the Bucks star said.
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“It’s kind of uncomfortable, especially for a guy like me that is — as I said, one of my characteristics is that I’m being loyal to the people around me,” Antetokounmpo told reporters. “That’s one of my characteristics, but it’s kind of uncomfortable knowing before it happened.”
After the firing, Kidd said that when Antetokounmpo called him, he offered to help save his job.
“He was a big part of my success,”
Antetokounmpo said of Kidd.
“He trusted me, he put the ball in my hands, he motivated me on a daily basis, he pushed me to be great and not to be mediocre.”
Giannis said about Kidd being fired.
“I was 19 when he came and he said he was going to put the ball in my hands. The first time I wasn’t ready. I told him: Coach I’m not ready to create and make plays for the team.’ He said, ‘OK, we’re going to take our time.’ The next year, he put the ball in my hands and I was ready”
“But coming from a guy like Jason Kidd is big. He’s going to end up whatever, if he got fired or not Jason Kidd will be in the Hall of Fame. Having Jason Kidd as our coach was big.”
With J. Kidd as head coach, Milwaukee Bucks had a regular-season record of 139-152, though the Bucks are considered a team on the rise, with a group of young stars including G. Antetokounmpo.
“That’s in the hands of the front office,” Antetokounmpo said
when asked whether he thought Kidd deserved to be fired.
“Whatever they think or they can do to make this team better and make this team a championship-level team — it can happen. If it’s me being traded or the coach being fired or whatever move they think is the right move to make this a championship-level team, I think is the right move for it to happen.”
