Myles Turner pulled back the curtain on the Milwaukee Bucks’ fractured 2025-26 season, saying former coach Doc Rivers enforced virtually no discipline and that superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo “showed up whenever he wanted.”
The 6-foot-11 center, who signed a four-year, $108.9 million contract with Milwaukee last offseason after 10 seasons with the Indiana Pacers, made the remarks Thursday on the “Game Recognize Game” podcast co-hosted by New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart.
“Doc Rivers, he didn’t fine anybody ever,” Turner said. “Guys were late all the time. Guys were showing up to film whenever they wanted to show up. Guys were missing meetings. It was one of the craziest things I personally ever experienced.”
Turner singled out Antetokounmpo — the two-time NBA MVP and 2021 champion who has led the Bucks for more than a decade — as the player most likely to arrive late.
“Giannis. Giannis is going to show up whenever he wants, really,” Turner said. “I think that this kind of just came with the territory … Once I saw it was going down, I was like, ‘Hey man, s—, more power to you. They ain’t going to fine you. S—, do what you do.’”
Turner described a team culture in which tardiness became routine. Players arrived an hour late to team planes, he said, to the point where he stopped showing up on time himself.
“If the plane [was supposed to] take off at 2:00, we weren’t leaving until 4:30,” Turner recalled. “Guys are an hour late to the plane. It got to a point where I just knew not to show up until an hour after they said the plane was taking off.”
He contrasted the Bucks’ environment with every other team he has played for.
“Any other team I’ve been on, guys got fined,” Turner said. “There was a sense of order and a sense of understanding. So yeah, you’re late to the plane? Fine. You’re late to treatment? Fine. You’re late to film? Fine. But I personally did not experience that last year for the first time in my career.”
The Bucks finished 32-50 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2015, snapping a nine-year postseason streak. Rivers was not retained after the season; the team announced April 13 he would not return and later hired Taylor Jenkins as head coach.
ESPN previously reported tension between Rivers and the players, including low-energy practices and an awkward March team meeting in which Rivers issued an “either you’re with us or against us” ultimatum.
Myles Turner said former Bucks head coach Doc Rivers never fined players, even if they showed up very late to team meetings or flights.
“One of the craziest things I’ve ever experienced,” Turner said.
A bad look not holding the locker room accountable. pic.twitter.com/V3528Z9GOZ
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) May 14, 2026
Turner’s comments arrive as the franchise evaluates its future around Antetokounmpo. The Bucks have made clear they are open to trade calls for their star, who has indicated he is ready to move on, with a resolution expected before the June 23-24 NBA Draft.
Under Jenkins, Turner said he expects to see changes.
“We’ll see what Taylor Jenkins does, our new coach,” he said.
