By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Following a lopsided 133-101 rout of the Milwaukee Bucks by the Boston Celtics at Fiserv Forum, head coach Doc Rivers addressed the growing friction surrounding the team and the continued absence of Greek superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“The tough part of all this is that I am in the middle when I have nothing to do with it. Coaches don’t decide any of this, but the problem with our league is that the coaches are the ones sitting out in front, and we have to sit here and answer this stuff. And I think there are two sides to this. I will tell you that. But I don’t want to get too involved in it,” said the 64-year-old play-caller in a postgame press conference after his side was forced to 30-47 in the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season.
“I talk to Giannis all the time about what he should be working on. Literally, I stay right there in that zone, about things that I think he needs to add to his game. And that’s it. I decided long ago that it’s not for me to get involved in the rest of this stuff. I don’t like it, though. I think this is a grown man’s game, and it should be handled that way by everybody. So, I don’t like the ‘he said, she said’ stuff. It’s not good. Just from that seat, the fact that I have to sit up here and keep addressing it, it bothers me. And we need to do something about it,” he added.
When pressed on whether the league had intervened or discussed the internal strife with him, Rivers remained firm on his distance from the front-office drama. “Again, I don’t know any of that. That’s the point I’m trying to make. The league they aren’t going to call me about this. They know I have no decision-making in this. If they have decided or started talking to us, this is the first I’ve heard of it. I don’t even know that, nor should I. I just don’t like that this is so public, and it shouldn’t be. This is where grown men get in the room, and they talk it out. Whether they agree or disagree, that doesn’t matter. But this should not be public, and I don’t like that.”
Regarding the long-term stability of the franchise’s relationship with the Greek Freak, Rivers admitted uncertainty while emphasizing his personal connection with the 31-year-old Greek point forward. “I don’t know. I have a great relationship with him. I know that part. Literally, we talk almost every day or every day that we can around each other. I think there’s a lot of business to be done. I’m out of the business of trying this subliminal messaging or all that crap. I’ve heard all the stuff. I just want everybody to be on the same side, because they deserve it, all of them. I don’t think there’s a bad person in this group. None of the guys that I’m talking about. I do think they’re all good people, but we got to figure out how to put good people on the same page. And it stays inside. I’ve never been a fan of negotiating in media. I don’t think it’s good for anybody.”
The heavy loss occurred following Giannis’s outburst after missing his tenth consecutive game. However, his brothers did see the floor, with Alex scoring one point and Thanasis remaining scoreless. French starter Ousmane Dieng managed nine points for the Bucks before his night was cut short by injury.
On the winning side, the Celtics featured a dominant performance from Portuguese starter Neemias Queta, who posted a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, complemented by four blocks and two assists. Bench contributions saw Bosnian Luka Garza and Spaniard Hugo Gonzalez adding two points each, while British Amari Williams and Ukrainian Max Shulga did not see playing time. Montenegrin center Nikola Vucevic remained out of the lineup with a right finger fracture.
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