Doc Rivers finally dropped the mask on why Giannis Antetokounmpo left Milwaukee. The former coach told listeners on “The Bill Simmons Podcast” that the superstar wanted out but refused to ask for it. “Giannis wanted out, but he was a Buck. And he didn’t want to be the bad guy,” Rivers said. This hesitation created a toxic standoff where the player waited for the front office to make the move instead of taking control.
Rivers believes the Greek Freak played a dangerous game by staying silent. The result was a messy offseason deal that sent Herro and multiple picks to Miami while Antetokounmpo remained in limbo.
The Coaching Clash
Rivers did not mince words about the difficulty of managing Antetokounmpo’s style. He called the star a “difficult guy” who plays at a crazy downhill pace with only one way to attack the rim. Rivers admitted, “He has this great passing ability, but he doesn’t have a super-high IQ at the same time.” This blunt assessment suggests the coach felt the player lacked the discipline to run a proper offense.
The former coach insisted that Antetokounmpo needed to learn the value of execution in practice. “I wished he learned how to execute better,” Rivers said during the interview. He argued that the player never needed to execute because he could do it on his own, but that approach hurt the team. Now Antetokounmpo works with Erik Spoelstra, who Rivers calls a coach as good as there is in execution.
Kidd Fires Back
Jason Kidd, who coached Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee from 2014 to 2018, pushed back hard against these claims. Speaking to ESPN on Friday, Kidd disagreed with the idea that the star lacks basketball IQ. “Giannis’ superpower to get downhill and he makes plays,” Kidd said.
Even with Antetokounmpo posting 27.3 points and 12.7 rebounds per game, the Miami Heat have stumbled to a 3-6 start. The team lost to the Warriors on Thursday night, continuing a rough stretch in his first season away from Milwaukee. Prior to the Bucks missing the postseason entirely last season, Rivers served as their coach for three seasons with a 97-103 record.
