Ex-coach Rivers says he apologized to Giannis while clarifying critiques

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  Marc J. SpearsNov 9, 2026, 06:43 PM ET

Former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers told ESPN Andscape on Monday that he reached out to Miami Heat forward Giannis Antetokounmpo to apologize for a remark he made on a recent podcast.

Rivers, now an NBC Sports NBA analyst, coached Rivers in Milwaukee for parts of three seasons before being relieved of his duties at the end of last season. Rivers told "The Bill Simmons Podcast" in an episode posted last Thursday that Antetokounmpo "doesn't necessarily have this super IQ" for basketball and that he "really has one way: downhill, force, force."

Rivers told ESPN Andscape he meant to say "feel for the game" instead of "super IQ," he felt bad about the error in words and texted Antetokounmpo an apology that the latter responded positively to.

"I was saying he was one of the most interesting guys," Rivers said. "He makes unbelievable passes, but at 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."

Rivers also said Antetokounmpo was "not easy" to coach during the podcast. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame coach told Andscape that those comment were actually meant as a compliment to his greatness, not as a slight. Rivers also added that he made a lot of positive comments on the podcast about Antetokounmpo, including enjoying coaching the former Bucks star, that were overlooked.

"The point was trying to make is whenever you have a great player, you have to fit the team around that great player," Rivers told ESPN Andscape. "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."

Antetokounmpo addressed Rivers' comments Sunday, three days after the interview was published.

"First of all, he's not my coach," Antetokounmpo told reporters after Miami's 114-108 victory over the Sacramento Kings. "My coach is Coach Spo [Erik Spoelstra], but [Rivers] is a guy -- a coach -- that I've worked with in the past. I'm speechless."

Antetokounmpo, 31, is averaging 27.5 points and 12.8 rebounds in his first season with the Heat, who have rebounded from a slow start and improved to 4-6 with Sunday's victory in Sacramento.