Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 27.5 points and grabbed 12.8 rebounds to help lead the Miami Heat to a 114-108 victory over the Sacramento Kings, ESPN reported.
The win pushed Miami’s record to 4-6 following a slow start to the NBA season. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said the team is making progress integrating Antetokounmpo’s style of play into their system.
Former Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers claimed on The Bill Simmons Podcast that Antetokounmpo orchestrated a prolonged exit from Milwaukee. Rivers stated that the two-time MVP wanted out of the franchise but did not want to be blamed for demanding a trade. “Giannis wanted out, but he was a Buck. And he didn’t want to be the bad guy,” Rivers said in the podcast episode.
Rivers also stated that Antetokounmpo does not possess a high basketball IQ and relies primarily on brute force when attacking the basket. Milwaukee ultimately traded Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to Miami earlier this year in exchange for Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis, three first-round draft picks, one pick swap, and a second-round pick.
Antetokounmpo addressed the remarks after Sunday’s game in Sacramento, expressing disbelief over his former coach’s public statements. “First of all, he’s not my coach,” Antetokounmpo told reporters. “My coach is Coach Spo, but [Rivers] is a guy — a coach — that I’ve worked with in the past. I’m speechless.”
Antetokounmpo added advice for fellow athletes regarding external negativity. “Never let bitterness or pettiness get in front of your goals and dreams,” Antetokounmpo said. “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.”
The comments highlight tensions surrounding the end of Antetokounmpo's tenure in Milwaukee, a franchise he led to the 2021 NBA championship. Throughout the 2025-26 season, Antetokounmpo maintained publicly that he was committed to the Bucks and would never request a trade. However, sources told ESPN Shams Charania that Antetokounmpo and his agent, Alex Saratsis, had informed the Bucks organization since May 2025 that a trade was necessary for both sides.
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