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Milwaukee Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin’s 2-year-old grandson died on Saturday, according to the Champaign Illinois County Coroner, Duane Northrup.
The child, identified as Jayce D. Griffin, was found unresponsive by his father, Alan Griffin, in Champaign, and was pronounced dead at 10:40 a.m. in the Carle Foundation Hospital Emergency Department in Urbana, Illinois.
The coroner’s office said preliminary reports from an autopsy conducted Monday showed no evidence of trauma or foul play.
“At this time, the death of Jayce Griffin appears to be from natural causes pending additional testing and final autopsy results,” Northrup said in a statement.
Police responded to help a toddler with a “medical emergency.”
On Monday, Jasmine Riggs, the child’s mother, told CBS58 in Illinois that a doctor told her they found fluid in her son’s lungs.
She called the death an “agonizing tragedy.”
The child was in the care of his father Alan, son of the Bucks head coach, when he died, CBS58 reported.
According to Riggs, Jayce developed what seemed like a routine respiratory infection a few days prior to his death, but she said there were no serious concerns at a doctor’s visit on Wednesday.
The death is under investigation by the Champaign police department and the Champaign County coroner’s office.
The Bucks confirmed the death on Monday, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
“My grandson Jayce was very special to me and my family, and his passing is an agonizing tragedy that will be felt forever,” Griffin said in a statement released by the Bucks.
“I appreciate your respecting our family’s grief and privacy at this time.”
Griffin was hired by the Bucks in June to replace Mike Budenholzer, who led Milwaukee to an NBA title in 2021.
Griffin, whose resume includes 15 seasons as an NBA coach, most recently spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors.
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