Giannis Antetokounmpo hits back at Doc Rivers over claims about his basketball IQ

The comments

Former Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers said on The Bill Simmons Podcast on Thursday, 5 November, that Giannis Antetokounmpo does not have a particularly high basketball IQ. Rivers described the Miami Heat forward as a difficult player who plays at a very fast pace and has an outstanding ability to create and pass, but who runs one style of play and tries to impose it on every possession. He also called the forward's game fairly one-dimensional and said he needs to improve his shooting technique and his execution.

Antetokounmpo's response

On Sunday night, 8 November, after the Heat's 114-108 win over the Sacramento Kings, Antetokounmpo was asked about Rivers's comments. He said he had not known about them and wanted to know when they were made.

“I'm speechless. He made those comments today?”

Antetokounmpo said Erik Spoelstra is his coach and that Rivers was a coach he had worked with in the past.

“Oh, my God. First of all, he's not my coach. My coach is Coach Spo,”

Speaking to The Athletic, he said the matter was Rivers's own and that he needed to focus on his team and on what he had to do to get better.

“Never let bitterness and pettiness get in front of your goals and dreams, man.”

Rivers's time with the Bucks

Rivers coached Antetokounmpo for the final 2 1/2 seasons the 10-time All-Star played in Milwaukee. After the final game of the 2025-26 regular season in Philadelphia, Rivers and the organization mutually parted ways. Across parts of three seasons with the Bucks, Rivers compiled a 97-103 regular-season record and won just three playoff games, across back-to-back first-round losses to the Indiana Pacers.

Wins97

Losses103

Wins

97

Losses

103

Data from the article text

Antetokounmpo, a two-time NBA MVP, now plays for the Heat under coach Erik Spoelstra, and he said Rivers should be asked directly why he made the comments.