Skip Bayless says Rivers should have kept his view of Antetokounmpo to himself
Skip BaylessSports commentator and host of The Skip Bayless Show, appearing as a guest on The Stephen A. Smith Show
Bayless says he likes Rivers and that there may be truth in what Rivers said, but that he does not see what good it does Rivers to say it and thinks Rivers should have kept it to himself.
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.
“I thought he should have kept that to himself”
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
Stephen A. Smith asks Skip Bayless about Rivers's remarks on Antetokounmpo. Bayless says he likes Rivers and that there may be truth in what Rivers said, but that he does not see what good it does Rivers to say it and thinks Rivers should have kept it to himself. Smith says he felt the same way and that he does not think Rivers meant any harm. The quoted wording is our transcription of the audio.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
EssentiallySports reports Smith's and Bayless's reactions to Rivers's remarks on The Stephen A. Smith Show and quotes Bayless saying Rivers should have kept his view to himself.
Before the quotation
Asked by Stephen A. Smith about Rivers's remarks, Bayless says he is torn, that he likes Rivers and that there may be a lot of truth in what Rivers said, including his account that Antetokounmpo wanted to leave Milwaukee. He says he does not know what good it does Rivers to say it, because it feels like Rivers trying to defend his legacy.
After the quotation
Smith says he felt the same way, that he does not think Rivers meant any harm and that Rivers should not have said it.
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. Bayless allows that Rivers's view may hold some truth but objects to Rivers saying it publicly, which he says feels like Rivers defending his legacy. He criticizes the remarks themselves, and his acknowledgement that they may be partly accurate does not change that conclusion.
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“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. "Skip Bayless says Rivers should have kept his view of Antetokounmpo to himself". First published: 2026-11-10. Last updated: 2026-11-10. https://disputeindex.com/events/8622-bayless-says-he-likes-rivers-and-that-there