The former Bucks coach says Antetokounmpo wanted a trade but avoided asking for one directly so he would not look like the bad guy.
Doc Rivers is talking now that he is away from the bench, and he is not being gentle about his time coaching Giannis Antetokounmpo. In an interview with Bill Simmons, Rivers said Antetokounmpo wanted out of Milwaukee last season but never said so plainly, instead putting the organization through months of uncertainty before a trade deadline that ultimately produced no move.
"Giannis wanted out, but he was a Buck. And he didn't want to be the bad guy," Rivers said, describing the dynamic as Antetokounmpo essentially yo-yoing the front office, led by Jon Horst, rather than asking directly to leave.
Rivers also took aim at Antetokounmpo's basketball IQ, saying he was difficult to coach. The two never recaptured the magic of Antetokounmpo's 2021 championship run, which came under a different coaching staff. Rivers stepped down after Milwaukee finished last season 32-50 and failed to get past the first round of the playoffs during his tenure. Antetokounmpo has since been traded to the Miami Heat, and the Bucks now look like a different team without him.