Miami Heat star Giannis Antetokounmpo appears uninterested in publicly addressing Doc Rivers' reported apology after his former Milwaukee Bucks coach criticized his basketball IQ and playing style.
Following Miami's 115-109 victory over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night, Antetokounmpo addressed Rivers' recent remarks and the reported text message during an interview with the South Florida Sun Sentinel's Ira Winderman, published Wednesday.
“I don't know if he texted me. I haven't looked at my phone. But even if he texted me, that's private. That's between me and him. It'll always be that way,” Antetokounmpo said.
The two-time MVP also made it clear that Rivers was responsible for explaining his own comments rather than expecting Antetokounmpo to address them publicly.
“He had those quotes. He had those comments. You have to ask him what he meant. If you feel like he has to clarify, that's on him. Not me,” Antetokounmpo said.
“Conversations taken place between me, my coaches, my teammates, my wife, my best friends, tend to be private. I never share them in the media.”
Antetokounmpo's response came after ESPN NBA insider Marc J. Spears reported Monday that Rivers had contacted his former player to clarify remarks he made during a podcast appearance last week.
REPORT🚨: Doc Rivers reportedly reached out to Giannis Antetokounmpo and apologize for his recent comments, per @MarcJSpears
“I asked Doc and he said he actually texted Giannis and explained some things to him…. Doc did acknowledge that that’s where he made a mistake.” pic.twitter.com/DQWt9tQCOs
— Heat Culture HQ (@HeatCultureHQ) November 9, 2026
Doc Rivers reportedly apologized for Giannis Antetokounmpo criticism
During the podcast, Rivers discussed the challenges of coaching Antetokounmpo during their time together in Milwaukee, questioning aspects of his decision-making and offensive execution.
“He's not easy. He plays at this crazy downhill pace. He's really a difficult guy. He has this great passing ability, but he doesn't have super IQ at the same time,” Rivers said.
Rivers also criticized Antetokounmpo's tendency to force plays offensively, suggesting that the superstar needed to place greater emphasis on execution during practices and shootarounds.
However, Spears explained during Monday's edition of ESPN's “NBA Today” that Rivers did not intend his comments about Antetokounmpo being difficult to coach as an insult.
Article Continues BelowAccording to Spears, Rivers considered that assessment a compliment because superstars such as LeBron James and Luka Doncic also present unique coaching challenges.
Spears added that Rivers acknowledged making a mistake by questioning Antetokounmpo's basketball IQ. The former Bucks coach reportedly intended to discuss his feel for the game rather than his intelligence.
Rivers subsequently expressed regret over the wording and reportedly apologized through a text message.
Despite the reported attempt to clarify his remarks, Antetokounmpo declined to confirm whether he had received or read the message, maintaining that any communication between the two would remain private.
Meanwhile, Miami improved to 5-6 following Tuesday's victory over Utah, concluding its five-game Western Conference road trip on a positive note.
Antetokounmpo and the Heat will now turn their attention to Friday night's NBA Cup matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers (5-6), scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.