Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Mar 2, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) comes out of the game near the end of the second quarter and walks past Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers as they compete against the Boston Celtics at Fiserv Forum.
New Miami Heat star Giannis Antetokounmpo was taken aback by former coach Doc Rivers throwing him under the bus for the latter’s struggles with the Milwaukee Bucks, and now he’s clapping back.
Rivers, in a recent interview on “The Bill Simmons Show,” stated that Antetokounmpo was difficult to coach in Milwaukee and that he didn’t actually want to play for the Bucks last season, when the team went 32-50.
“I liked Giannis a lot. I liked him more as a dude,” Rivers told Simmons. “He’s interesting. He’s not easy. He’s not easy because he plays at this crazy downhill pace. He’s really a difficult guy. … He has this great passing ability, but he doesn’t necessarily have this super IQ at the same time. It’s really a strange thing, and he really has one way: downhill, force, force. Every play, he wants to force it.
“I wish he learned how to execute better. He’s one of those guys … that have never needed to execute because they can do it on their own. But that doesn’t help the team”
Rivers also said Antetokounmpo’s desire to leave Milwaukee unsettled the team last season and ultimately led to the coach’s demise, as he was fired after the season.
Understandably, the Greek superstar wasn’t overly happy with what Rivers had to say.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Calls Out Doc Rivers Over Unnecessary Shade
When asked about the comments following Miami’s 114-108 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, Antetokounmpo first attempted to take the high road.
“First of all, he’s not my coach,” Antetokounmpo told reporters. “My coach is Coach Spo [Erik Spoelstra], but [Rivers] is a guy — a coach — that I’ve worked with in the past. I’m speechless.”
But ultimately, he couldn’t hold back his confusion and frustration.
“You got to go ask him why he thought that,” Antetokounmpo continued. “That’s on him. That’s not on me. I just got to focus on my team and what I got to do, and how I can be better and how can I help the team.
“But God, that’s crazy. Never let bitterness or pettiness get in front of your goals and dreams. For every athlete out there, never let that — that’s insane. But you got to go ask him why he said what he said. Not me.”
Antetokounmpo seemed more bemused than anything else. But Rivers has a long history of shirking responsibility when things go wrong, and his latest comments just add to that list.