Giannis on Doc criticism: I won't be thwarted by 'bitterness or pettiness'

Giannis Antetokounmpo said he was "speechless" over former coach Doc Rivers' comments about the Miami Heat star, adding that he will continue to "focus on my team" and that athletes should not be dismayed by "bitterness or pettiness." Rivers, who coached Antetokounmpo for parts of three seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, said during a recent interview that the two-time NBA MVP "didn't want to be the bad guy" and was playing a "game" amid his prolonged exit from Milwaukee. "Giannis wanted out, but he was a Buck. And he didn't want to be the bad guy," Rivers told "The Bill Simmons Podcast" in an episode posted Thursday. "He wanted [GM Jon Horst and owner Wes Edens] and those guys to say, 'We're trading you,' instead of him asking for a trade. To me, that was the game that was being played." Antetokounmpo addressed Rivers' criticism Sunday, three days after the interview was published. "First of all, he's not my coach," Antetokounmpo told reporters after Miami's 114-108 victory over the Sacramento Kings. "My coach is Coach Spo [Erik Spoelstra], but [Rivers] is a guy -- a coach -- that I've worked with in the past. I'm speechless." After a brief exchange with reporters about the timing of Rivers' comments, Antetokounmpo elaborated. "You got to go ask him why he thought that," Antetokounmpo said. "That's on him, that's not on me. I just got to focus on my team and what I got to do and how I can be better and how can I help the team. "But God, that's crazy. Never let bitterness or pettiness get in front of your goals and dreams. For every athlete out there, never let that -- that's insane. But you got to go ask him why he said what he said. Not me." Rivers, now an analyst for NBC, added that Antetokounmpo "doesn't necessarily have this super IQ" for basketball and that he "really has one way: downhill, force, force." Spoelstra defended Antetokounmpo when asked about Rivers' remarks, adding that the Heat are making "progress" integrating his style of play into their team philosophy. "Look, I like Doc and I respect him," Spoelstra told reporters. "This is our business now." The Bucks' 2025-26 season was largely overshadowed by the question of Antetokounmpo's future with the franchise he led to the 2021 NBA championship. Throughout the season, Antetokounmpo told multiple outlets, including ESPN, that he was committed to the Bucks and would "never" demand a trade. But sources told ESPN's Shams Charania that Antetokounmpo and his agent, Alex Saratsis, had consistently informed the Bucks since May 2025 that he wanted a trade and believed it was best for both sides to part ways. Milwaukee ultimately traded Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to Miami for Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round draft picks, one pick swap and one second-round pick earlier this year. Antetokounmpo, 31, is averaging 27.5 points and 12.8 rebounds in his first season with the Heat, who have rebounded from a slow start and improved to 4-6 with Sunday's victory in Sacramento.