Who is AJ Griffin's father Adrian Griffin? All you need to know

The Atlanta Hawks recently drafted AJ Griffin as the 16th overall pick in the first round. He is not the first person in his family to play in the NBA. He is following in his father Adrian Griffin Sr.'s footsteps. The elder Griffin is an NBA veteran who played for several teams during his tenure in the league. Let's take a look at Adrian Griffin Sr.'s career.

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Who is Adrian Griffin Sr.?

Adrian Griffin

Adrian Darnell Griffin Sr. is a former NBA player who is now the assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors. Adrian Griffin was a shooting guard and small forward in the NBA from 1999 to 2008. He grew up in Wichita, Kansas and played collegiately at Seton Hall University.

Griffin Sr. initially entered the 1996 NBA draft. Unfortunately, no teams were interested, so he did not make it to the league that year. He played in Italy and in the American minor leagues for the first three years of his professional basketball career. In Griffin Sr.'s rookie season, he played for the Continental Basketball Association. He was part of the All-Rookie First Team in 1997.

After spending two seasons in the CBA, Griffin then moved to Italy where he played for Cordivari Roseto. He only played a total of eight games for the team. After that brief stint, Griffin Sr. played one more season in the CBA in 1998.

During the 1998-99 CBA season, Adrian Griffin played the best basketball of his career. Playing for the Connecticut Pride that season, Griffin Sr. averaged 18.9 points, 3.4 assists, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.2 steals. These figures are what helped him get selected to the All-CBA First Team and All-Defensive Team. What put the cherry on top was the fact that Griffin Sr. was named the league MVP as well.

Not only did Adrian Griffin garner a plethora of awards, but he led the Connecticut Pride to the CBA championship that same season. After carrying his team to victory, Griffin Sr. was named the Finals MVP. During the entire postseason, he averaged 18.3 points, 3.3 assists, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.8 steals.

After putting up a spectacular performance in the 1998 season of the CBA, the doors of opportunities to the NBA finally opened up for Adrian Griffin. He started his NBA career playing for the Boston Celtics in 1999–2000. He averaged seven points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game as a rookie.

Griffin Sr. played for the Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets and Chicago Bulls in his first six years in the NBA. His most significant season was when he played for Dallas. Adrian Griffin and the Mavericks made a trip to the 2006 NBA Finals, where he found himself as one of the starters in that series.

Griffin Sr. was then acquired by the Seattle SuperSonics on February 21, 2008, as a part of an 11-player transaction that also included players from the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, and the SuperSonics. That same year, he moved to the Milwaukee Bucks, where he spent his final season as a pro player.

Immediately after his playing days, the Bucks hired him to be part of the coaching staff. This transition marked the dawn of Griffin's coaching career. Since then, Griffin Sr. has joined numerous organizations in the league as part of their coaching staff.

His most significant experience as an assistant coach has been during his time with the Toronto Raptors. Griffin Sr. was appointed by the Toronto Raptors on June 25, 2018, to serve as Nick Nurse's primary assistant coach for his rookie season as head coach. The 2019 NBA Finals saw the Raptors upset the Golden State Warriors in six games, giving Griffin Sr. his first championship ring. He played a key role in that victory. Griffin Sr. is still the lead assistant coach of the Raptors to this day.