Mike Brown, L.A. Lakers
Adrian Griffin, Milwaukee Bucks
Griffin was fired in January, seven months after he got the job to replace former coach Mike Budenholzer, who was canned after the Bucks lost in the first round as a top seed to No. 8 Miami in the 2023 playoffs. That was two years after Budenholzer led Milwaukee to its first world title in 50 years.
In September 2023, the Bucks completed a three-team trade in which they got All-Star Damian Lillard from Portland to have him join their two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and three-time All-Star Khris Middleton.
When Griffin was let go, “30-13” was the No. 1 social media trend in reaction to the news because that was Milwaukee’s record at the time as a top-three team in the East. There were multiple reports that he lost respect of the players and refused to listen to him in team huddles during games. Antetokounmpo said he was surprised by the decision but had to “trust the front office” toward winning a title. Griffin was replaced by Doc Rivers, and the Bucks were eliminated on May 2 as a No. 3 seed to No. 6 Indiana in the first round.
Doc Rivers, Philadelphia 76ers
Rivers coached Philadelphia for three
Mike Brown was hired by the Lakers in May 2011 after Phil Jackson’s final season with the team. After they had a 41-25 record under him and were eliminated in the second round in the following year, the Lakers made massive trades for five All-Stars. They acquired Dwight Howard from Orlando and Nash from Phoenix to group them with Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace. The team didn’t win any of its eight preseason games, and had a 1-4 start under Brown before his departure, which is the third-fastest coaching change in league history.
David Blatt, Cleveland Cavaliers
Blatt was a former EuroLeague Coach of the Year when he was hired by Cleveland in 2014. When LeBron James left Miami as a free agent after four straight finals runs and two titles, the Cavaliers dealt their No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins to Minnesota in the 2014 offseason for All-Star big Kevin Love. That formed the Cavs’ core of Love, James and their other then-rising star, Irving.
The Cavaliers finished 53-29, was the East’s second seed, and lost in the finals to the Golden State Warriors. The following season in late January, Blatt was fired as the Cavaliers were atop the conference on a 30-11 record. The team’s former GM David Griffin cited “a lack of fit with our personnel and our vision.” Blatt was replaced by Tyronn Lue, and they beat Golden State as the only team to ever overcome a 3-1 deficit in the finals.