Mike Breen thanks Doc Rivers for ‘many weeks of service’ to ESPN broadcast team
The former Sixers coach left his role at ESPN to become the next head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Former Sixers coach Doc Rivers didn’t even make it one full season on the ESPN NBA broadcast team.
After the Bucks’ abrupt firing of head coach Adrian Griffin on Tuesday, Rivers immediately emerged as the favorite to lead the squad that currently sits in second place in the East. A day later, it was all but official that he’d be hired to replace Griffin.
But Rivers’ new gig meant he had to leave his old one, serving on ESPN’s top NBA broadcast team with Mike Breen and Doris Burke. Breen and Burke called their first game since Rivers’ departure on Wednesday between the Suns and the Mavericks, and wished Rivers well with Milwaukee, poking fun at his short tenure with the team.
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“First order of business is who’s available tonight,” Breen said. “For Dallas, Kyrie Irving is out. For Phoenix, Eric Gordon is out. For ABC/ESPN, Doc Rivers is out. Our dear friend has decided that life as an NBA broadcaster is way too stressful, so he’s decided to opt for a less stressful job, an NBA head coach on a team that’s trying to win a championship. We thank him for all his many weeks of service and we wish him all the luck in the world.”
Rivers joined the broadcast for the 2023-24 season after he was fired by the Sixers in the spring following three straight second-round playoff exits. He replaced Jeff Van Gundy, who was let go in 2023, on the ESPN crew. Van Gundy started at ESPN in 2007 and had called 17 consecutive NBA Finals.
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Despite Rivers’ short tenure, Burke was earnest and appreciative when saying her goodbyes.
“Selfishly, I’m going to miss him,” Burke said. “I’m going to try not to choke up here. Doc just brought unbelievable energy every single day. He was positive, he threw himself into what we were trying to do. But the question is no longer what he can do for you and I, Mike. It’s what he can do for a 30-win Buck team.
“Even through all that success, something felt amiss in Milwaukee, but our friend has got a legit shot to compete in the East and I’m going to try to be happy for you, Doc.”