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Doc Rivers is leaving ESPN to take on the daunting task of guiding the Milwaukee Bucks dynamic duo Giannis Antetokounmpo–Damian Lillard to an NBA championship, the network confirmed to Heavy Sports on Wednesday, January 24.
“We wish Doc well and we look forward to documenting the next chapter of his coaching career. We have a deep roster of supremely talented commentators who will continue to serve NBA fans with tremendous skill, passion and expertise,” David Roberts, ESPN’s Head of Event and Studio Production, said in a statement to Heavy Sports via email.
The Philadelphia 76ers fired Rivers in May last year after consecutive second-round exits. His coaching hiatus only lasted eight months. But his return to coaching also left a vacuum in the ESPN/ABC broadcast team which underwent a major revamp last year following the firing of Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson.
Rivers joined ESPN as their new lead analyst alongside Doris Burke and holdover Mike Breen in the network. Former players Richard Jefferson and JJ Redick along with play-by-play announcer Ryan Ruocco comprised ESPN’s “B” team.
According to an industry source, no decision has been made on who will replace Rivers in ESPN/ABC’s top-tier broadcast team. In the interim, Breen and Doris will continue handling the marquee games beginning Wednesday’s matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns.
Doc Rivers In, Adrian Griffin Out
The Bucks swiftly moved to hire Rivers after firing rookie NBA head coach Adrian Griffin on Tuesday, January 23, despite owning the Eastern Conference’s second-best record (30-13).
According to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, Griffin has lost the locker room. The Athletic reported that the Bucks brought in Rivers as an informal consultant to Griffin after they lost in the In-Season Tournament in Las Vegas in December which planted the seed of succession.
The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor described Griffin’s brief reign as the Bucks head coach as “mired by frayed relationships, a botched defensive system, and head-scratching in-game decisions that made the franchise’s star players believe he’s not capable of leading them to a championship.”
The Bucks expect Rivers, a veteran coach who won a championship in 2008 in Boston, to get more buy-in from their veteran-laden team and improve their 21st-ranked defense.
Outgoing Bucks Coach Issues Statement
Griffin was grateful for the opportunity to become a head coach albeit briefly after a 15-year career as an assistant and 14 head coaching job interviews.
“I appreciate the opportunity the Bucks gave me. You can’t control everything,” Griffin told Bleacher Report after his ouster. “I feel good about the job we did. I appreciate my coaching staff for all their hard work. I always wanted to be a head coach in this league. I couldn’t have asked for a better roster. I got to coach Giannis, Dame, Khris, Brook. Dream come true. Hopefully, I get another shot at it, but overall, I’m just thankful.”
Griffin, 49, had the best winning percentage for a team that fired its head coach during a season since David Blatt with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2015-16. Ty Lue, Blatt’s assistant, took over and led the Cavaliers to their first-ever NBA title with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.
The Bucks hope the coaching change will lead to the same result for the Bucks, who have struggled defensively. They barely beat this season’s worst NBA team, Detroit Pistons, over their last two games, which served as the final straw.
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ESPN Confirms Doc Rivers Leaving for Bucks, Addresses Broadcast Fill-Ins