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Doc Rivers out as Milwaukee Bucks head coach after one season, ESPN reports

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Doc Rivers is out as the Milwaukee Bucks’ head coach, ESPN reported Sunday, citing sources.

Rivers left his broadcasting job to return to the NBA sidelines as the Bucks’ coach shortly after Adrian Griffin was fired 43 games into the 2023-24 season. Now Rivers exits Milwaukee after a 126-106 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday, capping a 32-50 season that ended in a missed NBA playoff berth.

Rivers coached the Bucks to first-round playoff exits in each of the past two seasons.

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Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers watching game at Smoothie King Center

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers looks on against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, Apr 6, 2025. (Stephen Lew/Imagn Images)

The Bucks will now launch their third head coaching search in the past three years. Rivers’ departure comes amid uncertainty surrounding the future of franchise star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Bucks will now launch their third head coaching search in the past three years. Rivers’ departure comes amid uncertainty surrounding the future of franchise star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The NBA trade deadline passed in February without a deal involving Antetokounmpo. The two-time league MVP saw limited action in the 2025-26 season, appearing in a career-low 36 games.

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Antetokounmpo dealt with a knee hyperextension and bone bruise during the season. He was later sidelined for a stretch of games, fueling speculation the Bucks shut him down despite his being healthy, prompting an NBA investigation into the handling of the star forward.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and head coach Doc Rivers talking courtside

Giannis Antetokounmpo and head coach Doc Rivers of the Milwaukee Bucks talk before the third quarter against the New York Knicks at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Oct. 28, 2025. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Antetokounmpo’s frustration boiled over as he insisted he was healthy enough to play despite being sidelined for a 10th straight game when Milwaukee faced the Boston Celtics on April 3.

“I’ve never seen a case of a player saying, my caliber of player, that’s like — I’m saying it publicly — I want to f—ing play. You know what I’m saying?” he said, via The Athletic. “I don’t think I’ve seen this. So, if there needs to be an investigation, great. There should be. I don’t know. There should be. Until we figure something out.”

He then said he was “available to play.”

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Rivers addressed Antetokounmpo’s comments after the team’s 133-101 loss.

“The tough part about all this is that I’m in the middle, and I have nothing to do with it,” Rivers said. “Coaches don’t decide any of this. The problem with our league is the coaches are the ones sitting out front. 

“And we have to sit here and answer this stuff. I think there are two sides to this — I will tell you that — but I don’t want to get too involved in it.”

Rivers added that he didn’t like that the feud had gone “public.”

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Doc Rivers directs Milwaukee Bucks players

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers directs traffic his team against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first half at Fiserv Forum on April 5, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Michael McLoone/Imagn Images)

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Antetokounmpo averaged 27.6 points and 9.8 rebounds this season. He was named NBA Finals MVP when he helped the Bucks secure the franchise’s first championship since 1971.

Rivers coached the Celtics to the NBA title in 2008. He was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 1983. After retiring as a player, Rivers moved into broadcasting, calling NBA games. In 1999, he was named head coach of the Orlando Magic, a role he held until 2003.

Before returning to the coaching ranks, Rivers was part of ESPN’s lead NBA broadcasting team.

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Fox News’ Ryan Gaydos contributed to this report.

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Gary Neville predicts who will win Premier League title after Arsenal lose to Bournemouth and Manchester City beat Chelsea

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Gary Neville has stuck to his guns with his prediction of this season’s Premier League winner despite results from Arsenal and Manchester City last weekend. Six points separate the pair of sides at the summit of the English top-flight following a dramatic weekend.

Mikel Arteta‘s Arsenal suffered a shock defeat at home to Bournemouth on Saturday as they missed an opportunity to go 12 points clear in the league. Manchester City took full advantage of their slip, doing their business efficiently in a 3-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday.

Neville spoke on Sky Sports about the title race in England, pointing out that this year is undoubtedly Arsenal’s, judging by the amount of struggles they have faced to get to this stage. He admitted that the Gunners will not coast to the title in what remains of the season, but will find a way to get it over the line.

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“I do feel now is the time for Arsenal. I’m not going to go and say it’s now or never, but it does feel a bit like because if you’ve had five years of trying to climb that mountain, and you’ve just failed at that final hurdle each time, there has to be a moment where you get over the line.

Arsenal will crawl over the line. I don’t think they’ll get over the line easily, they might even lose next week, but I do think they’ve probably got a little bit of a cushion. Manchester City aren’t perfect, and Arsenal will just get there, but they’re in a lot more trouble than they were at 12.30pm on Saturday, when they were just about to kick off against Bournemouth”, he said.

Neville’s prediction will become much clearer in the coming weeks, as there are only six games left to play in the Premier League this season. City have a game in hand, and will host their rivals at the Etihad next weekend in what will be a six-pointer in the title race.

The Gunners have not won the Premier League since 2004 and have not won a major trophy since 2020. They have finished in second place in each of the last three league seasons, and will hope to end their trophy drought this season.

Manchester City defeat Chelsea to take advantage of Arsenal slip

Manchester City overcame Chelsea in their Premier League meeting at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, claiming a 3-0 win. Pep Guardiola‘s side kept their hopes of winning the Premier League alive in dominant fashion in London.

Following a scoreless first half, the visitors needed just six second half minutes to go ahead as Rayan Cherki crossed for Nico O’Reilly to head home. Their lead was doubled shortly after when Cherki showed off his quick feet before slipping a pass through to Marc Guehi, who scored his first league goal for the club.

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Manchester City made it 3-0 in the 68th minute, as Jeremy Doku took full advantage of a Moises Caicedo error to find the back of the net, sealing the win. The result in Stamford Bridge, coupled with Bournemouth’s win over the league leaders on Saturday, sets up a thrilling finale to the campaign.