Bucks Zone

Adrian Griffin is ecstatic about seeing Giannis and Dame achieve records this season

"This is a byproduct of their hard work."

Matthew Dugandzic

© Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
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Besides being stuffed with hype and expectations, the Milwaukee Bucks' 2023-24 season is colorfully filled with groundbreaking moments.

Last week, Giannis Antetokounmpo further cemented his case as the greatest Buck ever by registering the newest single-game scoring record of the franchise with 64 points against the Indiana Pacers. Days later, he became Milwaukee's all-time rebounding leader by surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 7,162 career mark for boards as a Buck.

And on Tuesday, Damian Lillard made history for himself by breaching the 20,000-point club courtesy of his first 40 points as a Buck in the 132-119 victory against the San Antonio Spurs.

Sight to behold

Being the man who orchestrates the two superstar's brilliance nightly, Adrian Griffin felt blessed to see Giannis and Dame make indelible moments beyond his eyes.

For the Bucks tactician, these are just well-deserved honors and the fruits of their labor since the Day 1 grind.

"This is a byproduct of all their hard work," he said. "Obviously, this is my first time being with the Bucks, and Giannis has been doing this for years. It's just a credit to all of his sacrifices that he's made, and he's able to reap a lot of benefits right now. That same goes to Dame; he's been in the league for 11 or 12 years, so he's been doing this at a high level for so long.

"It's a treat for us, as coaches and fans, to witness this up close and personal."

Leaders and winners

But more than anything else, coach Griffin couldn't be more proud of both Giannis and Dame prioritizing the essence of winning and collectivity over the feelings of personal milestones.

These are true as both the Bucks lead men have powered the franchise toward an excellent 20-7 start so far this season and will continue to roll until the goal of winning it all is finally finished.

"It couldn't happen to two better guys, like huge character guys, team first guys. I present the game balls to these guys and they don't even want to accept it half the time. It just says a lot about them, that they care about winning more importantly."

Milestone unlocked: Damian Lillard joins elite list of 20,000-point scorers

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.