The Los Angeles Lakers head coaching search continues, and there is a new Toronto Raptors coach whose name is being thrown into the mix.
Just days after Raptors head coach Nick Nurse and team president Masai Ujiri squashed the rumors of Nurse potentially being interviewed for the Lakers' coaching vacancy, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported Los Angeles has requested access to a different member of Toronto's coaching staff.
Lakers request permission to interview Toronto Raptors assistant for LA’s head coaching job, sources say: pic.twitter.com/Ej1iSe0xqN
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 4, 2022
"Sources tell me the Lakers are planning to interview Toronto Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin as part of the search for their next head coach," Charania said.
"Griffin joins Bucks assistant Darvin Ham as two known candidates so far for the job, and expect the Lakers' management to take a patient, diligent approach to this coaching search."
MORE: Get to know Darvin Ham – Bucks assistant in running for Lakers head coaching job
Who is Griffin? Here's everything you need to know about the Raptors assistant below.
Who is Adrian Griffin? Raptors assistant to interview for Lakers head coaching job
Adrian Griffin's NBA playing career
Griffin played four seasons at Seton Hall from 1992 to 1996, earning All-Big East Second Team honors his senior year.
After going undrafted in 2016, Griffin played a few seasons in the Continental Basketball Association – a minor league in the United States. He also played professionally overseas in Italy.
In 1999, Griffin began to carve out a nine-year NBA career, playing for the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls and Seattle Supersonics.
Most notably, he started eight games for the Mavericks during their 2006 playoff run to the NBA Finals, earning three starts against Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat.
Adrian Griffin's NBA coaching career
Immediately after his playing career ended in 2008, Griffin hopped on the Bucks coaching staff as an assistant for two seasons from 2008-10. He has spent 13 years as an assistant coach, also working with the Chicago Bulls (2010-15) , Orlando Magic (2015-16), Oklahoma City Thunder (2016-18) and since 2018, the Raptors.
Griffin was an assistant on Nurse's staff when the Raptors won their first championship in franchise history in 2019 and has played a key role in their player development system since joining the team in 2018.
