Three days after Doc Rivers’ monumental tirade about Giannis Antetokounmpo, the player now with the Miami Heat has chosen to respond.
Giannis admits he was “left speechless” by Rivers’ criticisms, who did not hesitate to lash out at him for his one-dimensional game.
“To begin with. Right now he is no longer my coach,” Antetokounmpo said.
“My coach right now is Spo (Erik Spoelstra), but he is someone I have worked with in the past and I am left speechless,” he acknowledged.
After a back-and-forth with local reporters, the two-time MVP of the regular season wanted to delve deeper into his response.
“They will have to ask him directly why he thought that. It’s something his, not mine. I just have to focus on my team and on what I must do. On how I can improve and on how I can help them as a team,” he explained.
“But good grief. All of this has been crazy. Never let bitterness stand in the way of your goals and dreams. For any athlete, never let… It’s crazy. But you have to ask him directly why he said it,” he added.
His last season with the Bucks was marked by trade rumors and ultimately by an injury.
He barely played 36 games with averages of 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game.
This summer, after numerous rumors linking him to New York, Golden State or Boston, his departure to the Miami Heat was finally finalized alongside his teammate Bobby Portis.
Under Spoelstra’s guidance he has begun the new season with a 4-6 record and averages of 27.5 points, 12.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per night.
