Jason Kidd disagrees with Rivers about Antetokounmpo's IQ
Jason KiddFormer NBA head coach who coached Antetokounmpo with the Milwaukee Bucks from 2014 to 2018, appearing on ESPN's NBA Today
Kidd says stars are hard to coach but want to be coached, disagrees with Rivers about Antetokounmpo's IQ and says Antetokounmpo understands how to play the game.
Responding to
Giannis Antetokounmpo was difficult to coach and does not necessarily have a high basketball IQ, relying on one way of playing: attacking downhill and forcing the action.
“So understanding Doc saying that his IQ, I disagree with that. I think Giannis understands how to play the game. His forcefulness getting downhill is what it's all about.”
Original video
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Doc Rivers questions Giannis Antetokounmpo's basketball IQ on a podcast; Antetokounmpo calls the remarks "crazy" and Rivers apologizes
In an episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast released late on November 5, 2026, U.S. Eastern time, former Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers said Giannis Antetokounmpo was "not easy" to coach because he plays at a "crazy downhill pace," and that he has "great passing ability" but "doesn't necessarily have the super IQ." Jason Kidd, who also coached Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee, said on ESPN that he disagreed with Rivers about Antetokounmpo's IQ, and Skip Bayless said Rivers should have kept his view to himself. Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said he likes and respects Rivers and that this is the team's business now. After a game in Sacramento on the night of November 8, Pacific time, Antetokounmpo said he was speechless, said reporters should ask Rivers why he said it and told athletes never to let bitterness or pettiness get in front of their goals. On November 9, Rivers told Andscape that he had meant to say "feel for the game," that he had texted Antetokounmpo an apology and that calling him not easy to coach was meant as a compliment.
Source and context
Original video
About this source
ESPN's NBA Today segment on the Miami Heat. The host says Rivers's comments went viral that morning and plays the podcast clip, then asks Jason Kidd, who also coached Antetokounmpo, whether he sees what Rivers describes. Kidd says stars are hard to coach but want to be coached, and that he disagrees with what Rivers said about Antetokounmpo's IQ. Brian Windhorst and Kendrick Perkins also respond on the panel.
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About this source
Bleacher Report quotes Kidd's answer on NBA Today and recaps Rivers's podcast remarks. It notes that Kidd coached Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee from 2014 to 2018 and Rivers from 2023 to 2026.
Before the quotation
On NBA Today, the panel plays Rivers's podcast remarks, and the host asks Kidd, who also coached Antetokounmpo, whether he sees what Rivers is describing. Kidd says he does not, that stars are hard to coach but want to be coached, and that getting downhill and making plays is Antetokounmpo's superpower.
After the quotation
Kidd adds that when Antetokounmpo causes problems for defenses, he is one of the top five players in the league.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is Doc Rivers's remarks on The Bill Simmons Podcast that Antetokounmpo was not easy to coach and does not necessarily have the super IQ. Kidd accepts that stars are hard to coach but rejects the assessment of Antetokounmpo's IQ and describes his forceful downhill play as the core of his game. He disputes how Rivers described Antetokounmpo without criticizing Rivers for making the remarks, so it is a challenge to the characterization rather than a condemnation.
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Read the full caseCarmelo Anthony questions why Rivers made his Antetokounmpo comments in public
“It's not a shot at him to say there's no finesse to his game ... So, to pinpoint just that part of his game, he's not saying nothing wrong, but it's just why, like, what is the point of saying that?”Read statement
Giannis Antetokounmpo says it is up to Rivers to explain his comments
“He made those comments. He had those quotes. You guys gotta go ask him what he meant ... If you feel like he has to clarify, you know, that’s on him. It’s not on me.”Read statement
Draymond Green says Rivers's IQ remark about Antetokounmpo comes off as personal
“But I will say I don't think Doc was just trying to shoot at Giannis. ... It definitely came off, you know, again, when you get name-calling ... you say he's not super high IQ and things like that, that comes off as personal. It just does.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Jason Kidd disagrees with Rivers about Antetokounmpo's IQ". First published: 2026-11-10. Last updated: 2026-11-10. https://disputeindex.com/events/8620-kidd-says-stars-are-hard-to-coach-but