PHILADELPHIA (AP) — With the Bucks long out of the playoff race, Doc Rivers was prepared on the last day of the NBA season for one final game to coach.
For sure, this season. Forever? That is still to be determined — at least with a public declaration.
“I'm not going to announce anything,” Rivers said Sunday ahead of the Bucks game against the 76ers.
Rivers, the NBA’s winningest active coach and someone ranking sixth on the league’s all-time victory
list, again cited age and time with his grandchildren as the key reasons he would call it a career. At 32-49 in a rather tumultuous Bucks season, and a strained relationship between the organization and All-Star and former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, the signs all seem to point toward Rivers' retirement.
The 64-year-old Rivers — who coached the Sixers for three seasons — conceded Sunday did carry some added emotional heft. Yet, he didn't want to make any kind of retirement speech because, “you never know.”
“I don't want be Ali and keep coming back,” Rivers said.
His final answer will come “definitely sooner” rather than later in the offseason.
Rivers noted he has a pair of grandparents' days coming up at school and planned to be in attendance. He said more than the losing has weighed on him this season.
“It's the age,” Rivers said with a laugh. “It's a lot of things. I still love it. I do. I absolutely love coaching.”
Milwaukee came into the season with championship aspirations, built again around Antetokounmpo and further bolstered by the acquisition of Myles Turner in free agency last summer. But injuries doomed Milwaukee; the Bucks started 8-5, then lost seven consecutive games to fall under .500 and that’s where they stayed the rest of the way.
Antetokounmpo did not play against the 76ers and finished the season with 27.6 points and 9.8 rebounds in 36 games this season, by far the fewest games of his 13-year career.
Rivers also coached the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Clippers and Boston Celtics, winning the NBA title with the Celtics in 2008.
Rivers called games for TNT after his playing career was finished and later was part of ESPN’s broadcast team during the 2003-04 season, including the NBA Finals.
Rivers, who played 13 seasons in the NBA, said he had been approached by a network (he didn't say which one) about returning to the postseason booth but was unsure if he would accept.
Rivers has a 114-112 coaching record in the playoffs that includes a 16-10 mark the year he won the title in Boston. Rivers has missed the playoffs five times over his 27-year coaching record and only once (2017-2018 with the Clippers) since 2008.
“It's hard,” Rivers said. “I don't remember guys being out like this, but it makes sense. I haven't had a lot of this. It's no fun. Losing, I don't give a crap what the reasons are, I'm just too competitive. It's just no fun not winning. It just isn't.”
Rivers is going into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame this summer. Only Gregg Popovich, Don Nelson, Lenny Wilkens, Jerry Sloan and Pat Riley have more coaching wins than Rivers.
“I'm not going to talk much about me in my speech,” Rivers said. “I think the Hall of Fame, for a coach, at least, means that you had Hall of Fame people around you. You've had unbelievable players and you've had a lot of help getting there. It's so little about you.”
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