Doc Rivers’ coaching tenure with the Milwaukee Bucks has come to an end. After the Bucks played their last game of the season, Rivers announced that he was stepping down from the position. 

Rivers followed his resignation with a formal retirement announcement. The NBA has likely seen the last of Rivers on the sidelines.  

“We met about seven weeks ago, me and ownership,” Rivers told The Ringer’s Bill Simmons.

“They asked me what I wanted to do, and one of the owners said, ‘You know, one plan is if we do this, you can hang in there for a year or two,’ and I literally said, ‘Oh no, no.’ I told my coaches, ‘I’m done.’ I love coaching, loved it,” he added. 

Rivers has been in the league for 43 years. He was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 1983, and since then, he has been associated with the league in different roles. But it’s time for another chapter in Doc’s life. 

“I had a lot of success at it, had way more ups than downs. But at the end of the day, I’ve given 40 or 47 years straight with no time off. I just wanted a break. I want to get away. The grandkids, life in general. I think it was time.”

The Bucks had a disappointing end to their 2025-26 season, missing the NBA Playoffs for the first time in 10 years with a 32-50 record.

How Doc Rivers Built His Legacy From Boston to Milwaukee

It’s hard to believe that Rivers was part of the league in five different decades. He competed against Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan and coached some of the greats in the league. Rivers has seen the league change on more than one occasion. 

He spent 13 years in the league playing for the Atlanta Hawks, LA Clippers, New York Knicks, and the San Antonio Spurs.

Rivers was a one-time All-Star and averaged 10.9 points, 5.7 assists, and 3.0 rebounds in 864 games. He was named USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year in 1982. 

Rivers retired from the league in 1996. Three years later, he was named Head Coach of the Orlando Magic. The team fired him in his fifth season after starting the season with a 1-10 record.

Then came his most successful nine years of coaching in Boston. He led the Celtics to a championship, a Finals appearance, a Conference Finals appearance, and a championship in 2008. 

He joined the LA Clippers in 2013, and after seven seasons with the team, joined the Philadelphia 76ers in 2020. In the next six years, he would coach the 76ers and the Bucks for three years each.

After 2012, Rivers never took his team beyond the Conference semifinals. 

He is one of the most decorated coaches in NBA history. He was the NBA Coach of the Year in 2000, won the NBA Cup with the Bucks, and was named the head coach in four All-Star Games.

In 2021, in honor of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary, Rivers was named among the top 15 coaches in NBA history.

What do you think about Doc Rivers retiring? Drop your thoughts in the comments down below.

Read more at Air Jordan Chronicles!

Written by

Nandjee Ranjan

Edited by

Utsav Gupta