The Milwaukee Bucks continue to struggle whenever Giannis Antetokounmpo gets off the court. In their 106-118 loss to the Cavaliers on Monday night, it was clear that the Bucks won’t come back in the game after their superstar’s second-quarter exit, despite managing to keep it close until the fourth quarter.
Behind the scenes, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers’ son, Austin Rivers, is entering the second phase of his career, kicking off his media journey with a stint at NBC. Before today’s game, the former NBA guard got to interview his father as part of their coverage.
“Doc? That’s my name?”
“Tonight.”
This pregame moment between Austin and his father Doc Rivers ahead of Bucks/Cavs 😂
Watch on Peacock: https://t.co/xHJvqSB5z3 pic.twitter.com/c6lkLSKRlH
— NBA (@NBA) November 18, 2025
He took this opportunity to not only question his father over their worrying record, but also slide in his own grievances with Doc Rivers.
Austin: Doc, you guys are 8-6 on the year.
Doc: Doc? That’s my name?
Austin: Tonight, alright? Tonight.
Doc: Alright, I understand. I’ll give you that.
Austin: 5-5 over your last 10. What are some ways you guys can clean up or maybe improve on tonight to get a win against the Cavs
Doc: We gotta rebound better, we gotta foul less, and we gotta get to the paint more.
Austin: Have you watched from the bench, and are you excited about me tonight, kind of hovering around your huddles?
Doc: You’ve hovered around me my whole life. So this part will be easy, right? I’m hoping, I’m hoping. Don’t say anything that you shouldn’t say.
Austin: And last but not least, most importantly, why couldn’t you have gotten me a mid-level contract this summer, and before you finish, I want you to think about the possibilities here: Summer Houses in the Hamptons, Ski Lodges in Aspen.
Doc: No Skiing.
Austin: This could’ve been ours. Actually, I don’t even want you to answer. How dare you? Back to you, Maria.
The former Clippers shooting guard was joking, putting his father on the spot with a question like that. Even the audience watching them from home would’ve appreciated the father-son banter.
At 33 years old, Austin can still suit up for a team if he gets a contract. Hence, he poked fun at his father for not helping him get one with the Bucks.
This is not the first time they’ve butted heads on camera, though. During the broadcast, the former Houston Rockets guard shares a story from 2019.
He played under his father from 2014-2018, becoming a valuable part of an upsurging LA Clippers team. But some have contended his time there.
Later, he was traded away to the Washington Wizards, which he did not appreciate, since the Clippers were on the rise and winning was becoming a part of the culture. Whereas in Washington, they were still trying to make it work, and it wasn’t coming together.
“You gotta understand, I was a little bit jaded. They traded me to the Washington Wizards. So you know, going from a winning situation to not quite the best… I got a cold phone call, ‘Son, you’re out,’” Austin revealed during the broadcast.
Later, when he faced off against Rivers’ Clippers, playing for the Rockets himself, he had an infamous on-court moment where he coldly told his father that he would call him. Just like his father called him to tell him the unfortunate news. Again, banter between a father and son who’ve had a bittersweet professional journey together.
