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Former Bucks player blames Doc Rivers for franchise’s issues

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated Jan 28, 2026 5:15 PM ET

A former Milwaukee Bucks player pointed the finger at head coach Doc Rivers on Wednesday for the major issues the franchise has endured over the previous two years.

Former forward Jae Crowder, who played for the Bucks from 2022 to 2024, reacted to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s trade request by essentially pointing to the hiring of Rivers as where everything started to go downhill. In a post on X, Crowder pointed out that the Bucks were 30-13 when first-year head coach Adrian Griffin was fired on Jan. 23, 2024, with Rivers brought in as his replacement.

“WE WERE 30-13 BTW. TO BRING IN DOC. THIS IS WHAT STARTED THE AVALANCHE,” Crowder wrote on X.

WE WERE 30-13 BTW. TO BRING IN DOC. THIS IS WHAT STARTED THE AVALANCHE https://t.co/BGh2ZaulRx
— JAE CROWDER (@CJC9BOSS) January 28, 2026

There were reports at the time that Griffin was struggling to command respect in Milwaukee’s locker room. Still, firing a head coach who had won 30 of his first 43 games was seen as stunning at the time, even by Rivers.

Rivers was brought in to ensure the Bucks would remain in consistent title contention. He has not done that. The Bucks are just 83-80 on his watch, and have failed to win a playoff series. The Bucks clearly think he is a significant draw, but results say otherwise.

Antetokounmpo has made it clear to the Bucks that he is ready to be traded, and the Bucks are willing to engage for the first time. One has to wonder if the franchise would be in the same place had they not acted so rashly with Griffin. Crowder certainly does not seem to think so.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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