Less than halfway through his first season on television in 20 years, Doc Rivers may already be headed back to the coaching ranks.
Rivers, who is just months into his second stint with ESPN/ABC, is said to be under strong consideration for the newly open Milwaukee Bucks coaching job, per multiple reports Tuesday. The Bucks fired first-year coach Adrian Griffin Tuesday after only 43 games.
The Bucks job would immediately place Rivers, a 2008 NBA champion with Boston, back in NBA title contention. Milwaukee has the second-best record in the East and is anchored by stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. For a coach who has faced scrutiny over his record of playoff underachievement since 2008, the opportunity would seem too good to pass up.
For ESPN, losing Rivers would mark an unambiguous setback. The network laid off longtime NBA analysts Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson last summer, who along with Mike Breen formed a trio that called 15 of 17 NBA Finals (Jackson missed two while coaching the Golden State Warriors).
It is not known whether or how much Rivers’ availability played into the decision to part ways with Jackson and Van Gundy, but the ability to add an acclaimed NBA analyst — albeit one who had not called a game in 20 years — likely made it easier to stomach. ESPN paired Rivers and Doris Burke alongside Breen and the trio has called a handful of games so far this season.
In the event Rivers leaves, ESPN could continue with Breen and Burke in a two-person booth or elevate one of J.J. Redick or Richard Jefferson. It is of course also possible the Bucks go in another direction and Rivers continues in his role.
In a preseason conference call, Rivers said he made “no promises” to commit to ESPN long-term and referred to broadcasting only as “the journey I’m on right now.”
