Doc Rivers Admits To Questioning Bucks Ownership About Why He Was Being Hired Which May Explain Brutal Start

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When the Milwaukee Bucks elected to fire head coach Adrian Griffin despite having a 30-13 record at the time, everyone in the NBA world questioned the move, including Doc Rivers, the man the Bucks tapped to take over his position. 

Rivers didn't just scratch his head and move on, his situation is far different, he actually questioned Bucks' ownership about why they were moving on from Griffin and hiring him. He also admitted to being hesitant about taking the job offer.

"I told our owners when they called, I said, ‘I don’t understand why you’re doing this,'" Rivers explained, referring to the firing of Griffin. "One of the things they said was, ‘Well, it doesn’t matter. We’ve done it now and we want you.’ So, that was a tough one. That’s where you have the hesitation."

The last thing an employer wants is to have a person in a leadership role to be hesitant about their situation, so Rivers admitting as much before even accepting the job is an enormous red flag. That's less of an indictment on Rivers than Milwaukee ownership, of course. Rivers was offered a large paycheck to come coach a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference, of course he was going to take on the opportunity no matter the feelings of hesitation.

READ: Patrick Beverley Claps Back At JJ Redick Over Doc Rivers Diss: 'He Saved Your Career'

Rivers not exactly being all-in with the situation in Milwaukee would certainly serve as some explanation as to why the team has gotten off to a woeful start since he took over at the end of January. The veteran coach has posted a record of just 3-7 since finding his seat on the Milwaukee bench.

Things hit a low point for Rivers and the Bucks just ahead of the All-Star break when they lost to a Memphis Grizzlies team that didn't feature Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., or Desmond Bane. After the loss in Memphis, Rivers called out his team for not being committed and already being checked out for the short break ahead.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and all other happenings in the world of golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.