Doc Rivers has earned a reputation for being brutally honest.
Sometimes, he’s been way too candid for his own good. Notably, that may have been the case again on Tuesday night.
Ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks‘ road clash with the Philadelphia 76ers, Rivers made a huge statement about Sixers star Joel Embiid.
“I was telling a very, very, very Hall of Fame player that I coached, that Joel’s the most talented player that I ever coached,” Rivers told NBC Sports Philadelphia before the game. “And he was like, ‘What?’. And I was like, ‘He is’. The things you guys see and then the things you actually don’t see, in practice sometimes that he can do. It’s incredible. It really is.”
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that. Then again, perhaps he probably shouldn’t have said that while he’s still coaching Giannis Antetokounmpo, especially given the current situation.
Giannis Antetokounmpo may not love Doc Rivers’ latest comments
While Giannis isn’t like most NBA superstars, pro athletes have big egos. More than that, the Greek superstar isn’t in a good place with the organization right now.
He called out his teammates and he’s gone back and forth in his comments about potentially leaving.
New reporting has indicated that the Bucks “are more open than ever to Antetokounmpo offers between now and the deadline,” though there is no indication a Giannis trade will happen soon.
Antetokounmpo is the biggest name potentially on the trade block on the trade block now or in the summer, and these comments, while harmless on the surface, may not help the team’s case.
The Bucks have tried to bend over backwards to make sure Giannis is happy as they try to keep him in Milwaukee for his entire career.
But given the way things have gone lately, one can also wonder whether Rivers knew exactly what he was doing when he said that.
Is he trying to push Giannis’ buttons so he proves him wrong once he gets back on the court? Has he just had enough of all the drama? Or was this just a basketball fan being honest?
Whatever the case, Giannis’ situation is worth keeping a close eye on. Rivers hasn’t done much to help his star forward on the sidelines, and he may have now given him the final push out the door.