Now that the dust has settled a bit, Doc Rivers is providing some insight into his departure from the Milwaukee Bucks, along with his future in the NBA.
Despite some speculation that he was forced out by the organization, Rivers is emphasizing that the decision to walk away from the sideline was entirely his.
Doc Rivers Says Leaving the Bucks was ‘100%’ His Decision
Rivers also said that the decision wasn’t a particularly difficult one and wasn’t the result of the underwhelming nature of the 2025-26 season for Milwaukee.
“It wasn’t a hard decision. It’s probably on your mind your last couple years,” Rivers said. “It had nothing to do with the season or anything like that. There’s times where you feel like you’ve had your run. … This was my decision. It was 100 percent my decision.”
While Rivers is content with his decision to walk away, he does have some regrets about the way he handled his exit from the Bucks after three seasons. Namely, he wishes he was more forthcoming about his plans with his players.
“The Bucks [ownership and executives] knew because obviously we had told them,” Rivers said. “… I didn’t want to tell the players anything, and I probably should have. After the game, I should have said something. As I always say, ‘You don’t get everything right.’ I didn’t go in the locker room after we won the title [in Boston]. You make decisions. I may be the only coach in the history of sports that did not go into the locker room after you win the NBA title. When you see all the champagne, there’s no me in there.”
Doc Rivers Acknowledges That His Coaching Days Are Likely Behind Him
Rivers has been on the sideline as a head coach in the NBA for a quarter-century straight. He held the position with the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers and most recently, Milwaukee. He won a championship, was named Coach of the Year and was also named one of the Top 15 coaches in NBA history.
After all of that, Rivers might finally be ready to call it a career when it comes to coaching, though he hopes to still be involved with the game in some to-be-determined capacity.
“Yeah, it’s very possible,” Rivers said when asked if his coaching days were behind him. “… I still love it. I still love coaching. But I don’t ever want my job to become work. I guess that is the best way of saying that. It’s more of a labor of love. So, I just felt like it was time. It was not like some lightning strike or something like that. I told ownership that a while ago. … I still want to be in the game and do something. I don’t even know where that goes. But I just thought it was time.”
Rivers has given a lot to the game, both as a player and then as a coach. So, he’s certainly earned his retirement, though it will be strange not to see him pacing the sideline in a coaching capacity next season.
Doc Rivers Gets Brutally Honest About Departure From Bucks, NBA Future