Former Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers has apologised to Miami Heat forward Giannis Antetokounmpo for remarks he made about the star on a recent podcast, he told an interview published on Monday.
Rivers, now an NBA analyst for NBC Sports, coached Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee for parts of three seasons before being relieved of his duties at the end of last season. On “The Bill Simmons Podcast”, posted on Thursday, Rivers said Antetokounmpo “doesn’t necessarily have this super IQ” for basketball and that he “really has one way: downhill, force, force.”
Rivers said he meant to say “feel for the game” instead of “super IQ”. He said he felt bad about the error and sent Antetokounmpo a text apologising, to which the player responded positively.
“I was saying he was one of the most interesting guys,” Rivers said. “He makes unbelievable passes, but 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 apologise for the distraction. I’m not trying to be one.”
Rivers defends comments as compliment
Rivers also said on the podcast that Antetokounmpo was “not easy” to coach. The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame coach said those comments were meant as a compliment to the forward’s greatness, not as a slight. He added that he made several positive remarks about Antetokounmpo on the podcast, including that he enjoyed coaching him, and that these had been overlooked.
“The point I was trying to make is whenever you have a great player, you have to fit the team around that great player,” Rivers said. “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 responds
Antetokounmpo addressed Rivers’ comments on Sunday, three days after the interview was published. Speaking to reporters after Miami’s 114-108 victory over the Kings, he said: “First of all, he’s not my coach. My coach is [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. Sunday’s win in Sacramento lifted Miami to 4-6, as the team works to recover from a slow start.