Report: David Griffin Called 'Griff Krause' by Staffers After 'The Last Dance' Aired

New Orleans Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin reportedly alienated members of the organization to the point that they began calling him "Griff Krause" in a group text.

Christian Clark of NOLA.com reported some team employees have grown to "actively dislike" Griffin. As staffers watched The Last Dance last year, they began using the derisive nickname as a reference to former Chicago Bulls general manager Jerry Krause, who is regularly blamed for the breakup of the 1990s dynasty.

Griffin is heading into his third season running the Pelicans and is firmly on the hot seat. The team has made little progress in building a playoff contender around 2019 No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson over the last two years, and the burgeoning young star has grown disenchanted with the franchise, per Clark.

Williamson and Griffin rarely talk despite Griffin putting in significant effort during Williamson's rookie season.

Well-regarded before his hiring after a successful stint in Cleveland, Griffin has made a series of questionable moves since taking over the Pelicans. He spent much of the offseason undoing his past mistakes, trading back from No. 10 to No. 17 in the draft and sending a 2022 first-round pick to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of a trade designed to jettison Steven Adams' contract.

The Pelicans also made the curious decision not to re-sign Lonzo Ball and instead sent him to the Chicago Bulls in a sign-and-trade. They then replaced Ball by sending out another first-round pick in a sign-and-trade for Devonte' Graham.