Doc Rivers Stuffed Shams Charania In A Locker, Insider Fired Back as Team Falls Apart

The Milwaukee Bucks’ season was forgettable, but their war with Shams Charania wasn’t.

Milwaukee went 32-50 and missed the playoffs for the first time in a decade. The season was a mess, but the fallout has been far more explosive. 

Things picked up after Shams Charania reported there was a "fractured" relationship between Doc Rivers and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Nowhere did that feel less true than after Rivers’ final game, when he and Giannis walked shoulder-to-shoulder back to the locker room following a crushing season-ending loss to the Sixers.

READ: The Doctor Is Out: Bucks Fire Doc Rivers After 50-Loss Season After Final Blowout In Philly

The report also said Doc told players to "Google his track record" during a team meeting.

Doc didn’t ignore it. He pushed back by taking a shot of his own, and this time he didn’t hold much back when talking about Shams directly.

PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 25: Head coach Doc Rivers of the Milwaukee Bucks watches from the sideline during the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on March 25, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)

BROOKLYN, NY - JUNE 26:  Shams Charania  talks during the 2025 NBA Draft - Round Two on June 26, 2025 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. (Photo by  David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

While on an appearance for Run It Back, Rivers said he missed ex-ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski (don't we all): "The first thing I thought was, ‘Where’s Woj? I miss Woj so much.’"

Rivers called the report "not true," disputing the "Google me" detail. According to him, the comment came during a blown 20-point lead, aimed at a player focused on touches instead of winning - a way to refocus the team.

He also suggested the story crossed a line. Rivers pointed to a moment during All-Star Weekend when he joked that Giannis should "trade Shams," something he says didn’t land well. 

According to Doc, Shams even reached out to the Bucks’ front office about the clip.

READ: After Difficult Year, Doc Rivers Reflects On Coaching Future And Family Priorities

After that, Rivers began hearing a response was coming … multiple people told him a "revenge article" was on the way.

From his perspective, it turned personal.

Shams addressed the situation on The Pat McAfee Show, standing by his reporting while firing back: "If they spent as much time dealing with their own internal problems as they did responding to accurate reports they wouldn't be in the mess that they're in right now."

Should media nerds be allowed to spark conflicts with actual players/coaches? (Photo by Evan Yu/NBAE via Getty Images)

He pointed to what was happening on the court. The Bucks struggled defensively, Giannis missed time, and the season slipped away.

Not long after, Shams had the final update. 

On Sunday, Shams reported that the Bucks are moving on from Doc Rivers. Rivers still had a year left on his deal, but after finishing 11th in the East, it wasn’t enough to keep him.

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