Rumors

Asked if the game played a role in the signing, Thanasis admitted that it did: “For sure. They were here after the first game against Italy, and they were excited because I was playing defense. I was doing my job, that’s my role. The important thing is that everyone who returns (after such an injury) with a team, or in a tournament like this, has to prove themselves again. That’s basketball. Whatever you have done so far counts; it’s your resume, but you have to prove it every day. That’s professional sports”.

EuroHoops.net

Tas Melas: NBA front office executives or coaches I’ve seen at #EuroBasket: Bucks: Jon Horst, Doc Rivers, Darvin Ham. Lakers: Rob Pelinka, Jeanie Buss, Kurt Rambis. Trail Blazers: Chauncey Billups. Kings: BJ Armstrong, Doug Christie. Nuggets: Josh Kroenke.

bsky.app

Rivers, who plans to stay in Cyprus for three or four days, will watch at least two games. He added that observing the movement, spacing, and team coordination is particularly valuable. "I love watching the movement and how they play. I always steal plays, I watch it, and I take some of these plays back home and I run them. Yeah, I love all the movement, all the elbow action."

BasketNews

Giannis Antetokounmpo took over for Greece on the way to a 75-66 victory versus Italy in the opener for both countries in EuroBasket 2025. Logging just over 29 minutes, the 30-year-old superstar finished with 31 points. He made 14/20 two-pointers and 3/4 free throws, alongside seven rebounds, two steals, and one assist. In addition to the Freak, the Milwaukee Bucks were represented in Spyros Kyprianou Arena by general manager Jon Horst, head coach Doc Rivers, and assistants Vin Baker and Darvin Ham.

EuroHoops.net

Fullcourtpass: Kevin Garnett defends Doc Rivers struggles "I really think that it's just because of the players. Every player can't play for him. Every player doesn't fit his style. Doc really is a gritty guy who wants to really defend for 48 minutes and grind you"

x.com

Kevin Garnett: Doc is probably one of the more intelligent people I've ever met. Always coming up with quotes, always having quotes, always having things in the chamber that he hits you with. He's definitely a chess player. He was one of the stimulants, one true stimulants in our league that I actually value. When we actually talk basketball, he was able to be on another elite of X's and those.

YouTube

Ian Begley: Source confirms Brendan O’Connor and Knicks are closing in on deal to add O’Connor as a top assistant on Mike Brown’s staff. O’Connor has a strong defensive acumen and has worked for the Clippers under both Ty Lue and Doc Rivers. He will be top assistant on defense. Knicks still looking to fill another top spot on Brown’s staff. @TheFrankIsola first reported O’Connor and Knicks closing in on deal. @SbondyNBA first reported that O’Connor will be top defensive assistant

x.com

Ian Begley: Amid interest from Knicks, MIN assistant Pablo Prigioni decided to stay with T Wolves, citing family reasons, league sources tell SNY. One coach squarely on NYK radar for an assistant job under Mike Brown? Clippers assistant coach Brendan O’Connor, league sources tell SNY. O’Connor has strong defensive acumen, has worked for LAC under Ty Lue and Doc Rivers. Knicks had previously targeted NOP’s James Borrego, DAL’s Jay Triano, Prigioni and others for assistant position under Brown. They will presumably continue to look for an assistant to help on offense even if they add O’Connor to help guide the defense.

x.com

Jon Horst: He plays well off of Giannis, and people forget that a few years ago he was one of the best catch-and-shoot 3-point shooters in the league. He’s big, he’s physical, he can create for himself, he can create for others and can make shots. And he grew defensively with us this year, and I think he’s very capable on that end. Whether he’s our starter or not our starter, that’s for Doc (Rivers) to decide, but obviously we’ve invested in him and we want him around. We’ve tried to create a situation where he has a chance to thrive and grow, and if so, he can have his option and he can benefit from it. But for us to get that continuity of a guard who we thought played well with us after we acquired him was huge and I think he’s primed to have a really big year. He’s in the right environment, he’s in the right group that loves him and supports him and is to give him the chance to be his best.

New York Times

Jon Horst: I think the reason why I still love working with Doc and I’m excited to work with Doc is because I think we have a chance to win with Doc. I think he’s a championship-level coach. He’s the right coach to get us to where we want to go. We haven’t had the results yet in our two years together that we wanted. But it’s been two of the most adversity-filled seasons that I’ve been part of. And we’ve had two really successful regular seasons. To go through the things that we went through, if people actually look at the facts of what we went through over two years — we still finished with a fifth seed and a third seed. Near 50 wins in both seasons. And then we lost to the team that lost in the conference finals two years ago and the team that lost in Game 7 of the finals this year. We lost to a really, really good Indiana Pacers organization that deserves everything that they’ve got. I mean, that team had an unbelievable two-year run and they beat everybody; they didn’t just beat us.

New York Times

Ben Golliver: Bucks coach Doc Rivers on communication with Giannis Antetokounmpo amid trade speculation this summer: “We were communicating a lot. It was about next year, and it was about winning.”

Twitter

Doc Rivers on Giannis Antetokounmpo playing point guard “When I brought it up with Giannis— he thought I lost my mind.”

x.com

Phoenix and now New York — after the hiring of Mike Brown as the Knicks' new head coach — have expressed interest in trying to hire Darvin Ham away from the Bucks, The Stein Line has learned. Yet those would be considered lateral moves for Ham, who is Milwaukee's top assistant to Doc Rivers. I'm told the Bucks love having Ham back in their midst after his two-season stint as the Lakers' head coach and are determined to keep him in Brewtown unless he secures another head coaching opportunity elsewhere.

marcstein.substack.com

There were rumors that Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers would assume a role in the front office and leave coaching to either former assistant Sam Cassell, now with the Celtics, or ex-Lakers coach Darvin Ham. But Rivers indicated he intends to return as coach as the Bucks are prepared to keep superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and attempt to rebuild around him.

Boston Globe