Giannis Antetokounmpo's Reaction Prompts Doc Rivers To Set The Record Straight On Unexpected Comments

Giannis Antetokounmpo gets another message from Doc Rivers© AFP

Doc Rivers has texted Giannis Antetokounmpo to explain criticism of his basketball IQ, and the message came with a mix of defense and regret. The two-time MVP, now with the Miami Heat, had already said he was speechless over the comments. Rivers coached Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee before the Bucks sent him to Miami in the offseason. Rivers stood by calling Antetokounmpo hard to coach. He apologized for the IQ remark. ESPN's Marc Spears shared the details on NBA Today, and they show where the former Bucks coach is willing to give ground.

Why Did Doc Rivers Text Giannis Antetokounmpo After The Comments?

Rivers had described Antetokounmpo as difficult to coach, and the line spread quickly. Spears said Rivers wanted it understood as a compliment.

“One of the things that Doc said was that Giannis wasn't easy to coach, and he told me this morning that's not a slight,” Spears said.

Spears explained Rivers put the challenge in the same group as coaching LeBron James and Luka Doncic. The idea was giving a star more spacing, not dealing with a player who would not listen.

Still, hard to coach rarely sounds like praise on first read. A clarification was needed because the original wording did not match what Rivers says he meant.

The IQ comment drew a plainer response. Spears said Rivers wanted to talk about Antetokounmpo's feel for the game instead.

“He said he felt really bad about even mentioning somebody's IQ in any capacity,” Spears said.

Swapping IQ for feel is a fair basketball distinction. The first version is still out there, though.

Antetokounmpo Tells Reporters To Ask Rivers Himself

The response was short. Antetokounmpo said he was speechless. Rivers is no longer the coach he plays for, he noted, and anyone wondering how Rivers saw the Milwaukee split should ask Rivers directly.

Rivers had also said Antetokounmpo wanted to play the good guy during the trade saga, which ended with a move to Miami.

Philadelphia knows how this goes. Rivers coached the 76ers for years, and the stretch included a Game 7 loss to the Hawks, after which he said he did not know if Ben Simmons could be the point guard on a title team. He later said James Harden simply clashed with him over basketball philosophy.