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Doc Rivers is an American basketball analyst and former NBA head coach and player. He coached the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks between 1999 and 2026, won the 2008 NBA championship with Boston and the 2000 Coach of the Year award, and ranks sixth in career coaching wins. He left the Bucks in April 2026, was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a coach that year and joined NBC Sports as an NBA game analyst.
We have documented 1 statement by Doc Rivers, in 1 case. Each statement below gives the quotation, its original source and a link to the full case.
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Role at the time: NBC Sports NBA analyst and former Milwaukee Bucks head coach, speaking to Andscape
Mixed or conditional
Response to this claim
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.
“He makes unbelievable passes, but then at times, because of his force he plays at, it gets in the way of his feel. It was more of a compliment. I hate this and feel bad about it. I apologize for the distraction. I'm not trying to be one.”
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. Rivers says he feels bad, apologizes for the distraction and, according to Andscape, texted Antetokounmpo an apology. He also restates that the force Antetokounmpo plays with sometimes gets in the way of his feel and calls the remarks a compliment. He regrets the wording and the attention while keeping the substance of his assessment, so the statement combines an apology with a defense of what he meant.
Former Bucks coach Doc Rivers said on The Bill Simmons Podcast that Giannis Antetokounmpo was not easy to coach and questioned his basketball IQ. Antetokounmpo said he was speechless. Rivers later said he apologized and meant feel for the game.
