Soon-to-be Hall-of-Famer Doc Rivers is leaving the Milwaukee Bucks, potentially putting an end to an NBA career that has spanned 40 years.
The 64-year-old Chicago native officially stepped down as the Bucks finished 32-50 to miss the postseason for the first time in nearly a decade. Rivers left ESPN to replace the fired Adrian Griffin in Milwaukee during the 2023-24 season.
He previously won NBA Coach of the Year honors with Orlando in 2000 and later got a championship ring with the Boston Celtics in 2008.
‘I have truly loved my time in Milwaukee,’ Rivers, a former point guard at Marquette University in Milwaukee, said Monday in a statement released by the team. ‘Coming back to where I got my start, to a city that has always embraced me, has been a privilege.
‘I am disappointed that things did not turn out the way any of us hoped, but I am deeply grateful for this experience, the relationships built, and unwavering support from our fans and the community. Milwaukee will always mean a lot to me, and this chapter will hold a special place in my heart.’
Recently selected for induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame, Rivers has stated his hope to spend more time with his seven grandchildren, leading to speculation he could be retiring. However, the former Hawks, Clippers, Knicks and Spurs guard has not officially announced his retirement as a head coach.
Doc Rivers is leaving the Milwaukee Bucks, potentially putting an end to an NBA career that has spanned 40 years. He officially stepped down from his head-coaching position Monday
Rivers’ departure comes amid widespread uncertainty over the future of franchise player Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Antetokounmpo’s name dominated league-wide discussions leading up to the trade deadline, though the Bucks ultimately kept him. He will be eligible to sign a four-year contract extension worth up to $275 million in October. If he doesn’t sign the extension, Antetokounmpo could become a free agent after the 2026-27 season, or the Bucks could decide to trade him beforehand.
Antetokounmpo missed a number of games towards the end of the season with what the team described as a left knee hyperextension and bone bruise.
With Antetokounmpo sidelined, the league launched an investigation into the Bucks for their handling of the player participating policy and potential inconsistent statements regarding his health, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The NBA reportedly interviewed both the team and Antetokounmpo. Yet, the two parties are said to have told two different tales.
Antetokounmpo informed the NBA he wants to play but the team will not medically clear him, the report added.
The ‘Greek Freak’ then doubled down on his side of the saga, insisting that he was healthy to play.
Doc Rivers, center left, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, right, embrace before a recent game
‘I’m healthy,’ Antetokounmpo told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and The Athletic. ‘I hate it when people force me to do things against my nature. I’m a player. I get paid to play.’
‘You know who you’re dealing with,’ he told reporters. ‘So, for somebody to come and tell me to not play or to not compete, it’s like a slap in my face.’
The NBA has been looking into the situation, previously issuing a statement last month after the dispute attracted its attention.
‘The Player Participation Policy was designed by the league to hold teams accountable and ensure that when an All-Star like Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy and ready to play, he is on the court,’ the union said in a statement.
‘Unfortunately, anti-tanking policies are only as effective as their enforcement; fans, broadcast partners, and the integrity of the game itself will continue to suffer as long as ownership goes unchecked. We look forward to collaborating with the NBA on meaningful new proposals that will directly address and discourage tanking.’
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, center, walks off the court after an NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets. He could become a free agent in 2027
Antetokounmpo addressed the probe on Friday, adding: ‘I’ve never seen a case of a player saying, my caliber of player, that’s like – I’m saying it publicly – I want to f***ing play. You know what I’m saying?
‘I don’t think I’ve seen this. So, if there needs to be an investigation, great. There should be. I don’t know. There should be. Until we figure something out.’
For the last couple of weeks, Antetokounmpo has participated in pregame warmups without showing any apparent signs of injury.
Antetokounmpo also noted that the Bucks should have known this about him since the 31-year-old has spent his entire 13-year career in Milwaukee.
Throughout that time, Antetokounmpo has had a reputation for rapid returns from injury, most notably when he hyperextended his knee during Milwaukee´s 2021 playoff run but missed two games before returning to lead the Bucks to their first title in half a century.
