Jason Kidd Pushes Back on Doc Rivers' Giannis Comments, Hypes Heat Star as Top 5 NBA Player

Jason Kidd doesn't agree with Doc Rivers' perspective on coaching Miami Heat star Giannis Antetokounmpo.

"I don't. I think when you talk about stars, they are hard to coach," Kidd said during a Friday appearance on NBA Today. "But, they want to be coached. Giannis' superpower to get downhill and he makes plays. So understanding Doc saying that his IQ, I disagree with that. I think Giannis understands how to play the game. His forcefulness getting downhill is what it's all about. And so when he causes a problem, he's one of the top five players in the league."

Kidd coached Antetokounmpo on the Milwaukee Bucks from 2014-18, while Rivers served as the two-time MVP's coach in Milwaukee from 2023-26.

Rivers previously detailed the challenges he experienced working with Antetokounmpo in an appearance on the Bill Simmons Podcast (h/t ESPN).

"I liked Giannis a lot. I liked him more as a dude," Rivers said. "He's interesting. He's not easy. He's not easy because he plays at this crazy downhill pace. He's really a difficult guy. ... He has this great passing ability, but he doesn't necessarily have this super IQ at the same time. It's really a strange thing, and he really has one way: downhill, force, force. Every play, he wants to force it.

"I wish he learned how to execute better. He's one of those guys ... that have never needed to execute because they can do it on their own. But that doesn't help the team. And I told Giannis this, the thing he needs to still learn is the value of execution. How important it is when you're in practice and shoot-arounds to lock in on execution. And now he has a coach [Erik Spoelstra] who is as good as there is in execution."

Antetokounmpo blossomed into a star under Kidd before emerging as a dominant two-way force once Mike Budenholzer took over as the Bucks' head coach in 2018, earning back-to-back MVP honors over the next two seasons while receiving Defensive Player of the Year recognition in 2020.

During the 2020-21 season, Antetokounmpo helped lead Milwaukee to a championship while earning Finals MVP honors in the process.

The Bucks eventually parted ways with Budenholzer following a first-round playoff exit in 2023, hiring Adrian Griffin as his replacement.

Griffin helped Milwaukee start its ensuing 2023-24 campaign with a 30-13 record, but was fired in favor of Rivers. The Bucks ultimately struggled with Rivers as their head coach, compiling a 97-103 record across his three seasons.

Rivers stepped down from the role at the end of the 2025-26 season.

As for Kidd, he went on to coach the Dallas Mavericks for five years from 2021-26 before the team replaced him with Dusty May this summer.

Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo is beginning his first season on the Heat after they acquired him in a blockbuster trade with the Bucks in June.

Miami has struggled to begin the year, sitting at just 3-6 through nine games.