Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) – Doc Rivers is departing as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks after the NBA team concluded its lackluster regular season Sunday, US media reported. The 64-year-old indicated as much himself after the Bucks concluded a 32-50 losing season.
“I can tell you we’re all on the same page,” Rivers told a post-game press conference of his future with the team. “We’ve talked about it, and we want it out pretty quick. I just want them to do it, it’s better. But I think you guys pretty much know.”
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The Bucks did not immediately respond to AFP request for comment, but ESPN reported that Rivers was out as coach but could still move to an advisory role with the club. Rivers himself hinted earlier this month that he might be contemplating retirement, mentioning how much he missed spending time with his grandchildren when asked about his coaching future.
Rivers’s stellar resume includes an NBA title with the Boston Celtics in 2008. Milwaukee won the NBA championship as recently as 2021, when Greek-Nigerian star Giannis Antetokounmpo earned a second consecutive Most Valuable Player Award. Having failed to build on that success, the Bucks brought in Rivers in 2024 amid predictions his arrival could propel Milwaukee back to the top of the NBA.
But after two exits in the first round of the playoffs, the Bucks missed out on post-season basketball entirely this time. Antetokounmpo struggled with injuries and was linked with a mid-season trade before publicly complaining that the team had not allowed him to play. There were also reports that Rivers had fallen out with several key players.
“I’ve personally have enjoyed the challenge. It didn’t go the way I wanted it to go, obviously,” said Rivers. “I always say I could do a better job. We could have had better health. We could have had all kinds of things. I’m not a big guy at looking back. All you can do is look forward. We did a lot of things to improve a lot of the young guys. Unfortunately, that was the road that kind of presented itself for us, and we did that.”
Rivers was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2000 after his first league campaign while with Orlando. Over 27 seasons he has won more than 1,190 games — the sixth-most by a head coach in NBA history. Rivers was selected for induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame this year.
© 2024 AFP
