The NBA’s 2023-2024 season has been a series of unexpected twists and turns, leaving fans constantly surprised. One of the biggest shocks came when the Milwaukee Bucks unexpectedly parted ways with their first-year head coach, Adrian Griffin, after just 43 games.
This sudden departure has taken center stage, raising questions and sparking speculation about the team’s next move. However, finding a suitable replacement hasn’t been as smooth as many might have expected.
Is Doc Rivers really hired by the Bucks?
CNN Sports threw a curveball into the NBA mix by boldly claiming that Doc Rivers had been hired as the new head coach for the Milwaukee Bucks.
This news erupted in the NBA community at large, as the favorite ESPN insiders, Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania, remained conspicuously silent on the matter. The absence of confirmation from these well-known sources seemed to trigger a series of doubts that surround the authenticity of CNN’s report.
The strangeness of this situation came to light when Kevin Draper from the New York Times suggested that an NBA TV scriptwriter had already pre-written a story about Doc Rivers making reservations about joining the Bucks, with the hope that maybe it would be picked up by another outlet. But unfortunately, the premature report went live, and CNN ran along with the story without obtaining any credible confirmation.
Kevin Draper argues that “This then floats over the transom to TNT and Inside the NBA, where producers don’t apply enough skepticism — who at CNN confirmed this? where is the news story or tweet? why doesn’t woj have this? — and repeat it and put it on air.”
The TNT, a sister network of CNN, had already aired the news without conducting any confirmatory checks. The Bleacher Report, citing CNN, was the first to share the news on social media, causing a wave of uncertainty.
However, there is still a lack of reliable sources that confirm the existence of any agreement between the two parties.
The reliability of the story as a whole has been called into question by CNN’s preemptive reporting without doing any due research, even though Doc Rivers, an accomplished NBA veteran coach, is undoubtedly a solid contender for the Bucks coaching position.
NBA community reacts Doc Rivers to Bucks speculation
The Milwaukee Bucks made a surprising move that sent shockwaves through the NBA community by firing head coach Adrian Griffin. This decision came despite the Bucks’ impressive 30-13 record under Griffin, which placed them second in the Eastern Conference.
Rumors began to circulate that Doc Rivers is reportedly getting ready to make a serious decision about taking over the head coaching post, adding fuel to the fire of uncertainty.
After the unprecedented breaking news that was presented by TNT recently, a former Lakers’ Legend, Magic Johnson had also congratulated Doc Rivers through a post on X, saying, “I want to congratulate my friend, and one of the best to ever coach in the NBA, Doc Rivers for accepting the Milwaukee Bucks head coaching job!…”
The rumors gained traction when a tweet by a user named Peter Bukowski, dated December 11, 2023, resurfaced. Bukowski had made a bold prediction about Doc Rivers potentially becoming the Bucks’ head coach by Valentine’s Day, which left fans and analysts alike in a state of disbelief.
The NBA community is eagerly anticipating the Bucks’ decision and official declaration, which has added even more complexity to an already unpredictable season due to the speculation surrounding the experienced coach Doc Rivers.
If Doc Rivers does indeed become the new head coach for the Milwaukee Bucks, one cannot help but wonder if his expertise and strategic approach can potentially lead the team to secure another championship title. And if it’s not Doc, then who else has the capability?
We would appreciate hearing your thoughts in the comments section below.
