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LOS ANGELES — Former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers told Marc J. Spears of Andscape that he texted Miami Heat superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo to apologize for the comments he made on Bill Simmons’ podcast.
Rivers told Spears that he meant to say “feel for the game” instead of “super IQ.”
“I was saying he was one of the most interesting guys,” Rivers said. “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 Bucks hired Rivers during the 2023-24 season. Rivers went 97-103 in the regular season and 3-8 in the playoffs.
Milwaukee traded Antetokounmpo to Miami this offseason, while Rivers was let go and replaced by Taylor Jenkins.
Rivers, 65, joined NBC in September as an NBA analyst.
Rivers: ‘Whenever You Have A Great Player, You Have To Fit The Team Around That Great Player’
Rivers, who coached the Boston Celtics to the 2008 championship against the Los Angeles Lakers, said Antetokounmpo was “not easy” to coach on Simmons’ podcast.
The Hall of Famer told Spears he meant that as a compliment.
“The point I was trying to make is whenever you have a great player, you have to fit the team around that great player,” Rivers said. “That is the point I was trying to make. It’s not always easy. It’s a compliment. I’ve been successful and unsuccessful at it. But your job is to create the best team you can possibly create around that great player and his talents.”
Here is what Rivers said on Simmons’ podcast last week:
“I liked Giannis a lot. I liked him more as a dude. 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. And I told Giannis this, the thing he needs to still learn is the value of execution. How important it is when you’re in practice and shootarounds to lock in on execution. And now he has a coach [Erik Spoelstra] who is as good as there is in execution.”
Giannis: ‘I’m Speechless’
After the Heat beat the Sacramento Kings on Sunday (11/8), Antetokounmpo was asked about Rivers’ comments.
Antetokounmpo, who led the Heat to a 114-108 win against the Kings, couldn’t believe what Rivers said.
“I’m speechless,” Antetokounmpo said. “You got to go ask him why he thought that. 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.”
Rivers told Spears that Antetokounmpo “responded positively” to his text, so it appears there is no beef between Giannis and Doc.
Miami is 4-6 in Year 1 of the Antetokounmpo era, while Milwaukee is 1-9 in Year 1 of the post-Antetokounmpo era.
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