Rivers Details Antetokounmpo's Coasting Style: 'Difficult' to Coach
Former Bucks head coach Doc Rivers described Giannis Antetokounmpo as a player who relied on force over execution and hesitated to formally request a trade from Milwaukee.
By Isaac Medina ·
Former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers stated that Giannis Antetokounmpo was difficult to coach and reluctant to force a trade, revealing details about the final year of his tenure in Milwaukee. Rivers made these remarks on The Bill Simmons Podcast, reflecting on his two and a half seasons with the team from 2024 to 2026.
Rivers explained that the trade process dragged on because Antetokounmpo changed his mind repeatedly about leaving the organization. The Greek star never publicly asked to be moved but wanted the front office to make the decision for him. Rivers said Antetokounmpo did not want to be viewed as the bad guy in the narrative.
"When I look back on that whole situation, Giannis wanted out, but he was a Buck," Rivers said. "He didn't want to be the bad guy. He wanted Jon and [co-owner Wes Edens] and those guys to say, 'We're trading you,' instead of him asking for a trade. To me, that was the game that was being played."
The Bucks missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016 after the 2024-25 season. This occurred following the injury to Damian Lillard, who tore his Achilles tendon. Milwaukee waived Lillard, stretching his contract until 2030, and signed Myles Turner to a four-year, $108 million contract in an effort to retain Antetokounmpo. The strategy failed when Antetokounmpo declined to sign an extension.
Rivers criticized Antetokounmpo's playing style, describing it as a "crazy downhill pace" that lacked basketball intelligence. He noted that the star player relied on force rather than execution, a trait Rivers associated with American AAU players who rarely needed to develop team skills.
"He has this great passing ability, but he doesn't necessarily have a super IQ at the same time. It's really a strange thing," Rivers said. "And he really has only one way, downhill, force, force, force. Every play, he wants to force it. I wish he'd learned how to execute better."
Rivers was not retained after the 2026 season. In June 2026, the Bucks traded Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to the Miami Heat. Milwaukee received Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round picks, a second-round pick, and a pick swap in exchange.
Both teams have struggled since the start of the current season. The Bucks are 1-7 as they begin a rebuild, while the Heat are 3-6. Antetokounmpo is averaging 27.3 points, 12.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game in Miami.
