Kevin Garnett used his KG Certified podcast to offer a blunt assessment of the Milwaukee Bucks’ recent campaign. Speaking to former teammate Paul Pierce, Garnett said the roster “quit on” former head coach Doc Rivers, a claim that adds a veteran’s perspective to a year that ended in disappointment for the franchise.

The Bucks finished the campaign with a 32-50 record, missing the postseason. Their playoff hopes were further dimmed by back-to-back first-round eliminations at the hands of the Indiana Pacers , a six-game series loss in 2024 followed by a five-game defeat in 2025. Those defeats marked the only two playoff appearances Rivers oversaw in Milwaukee before the two parties part ways.

Rivers and Garnett share a history that stretches back to the Boston Celtics, where Rivers coached the Hall of Fame forward for six seasons and helped the team capture the 2008 NBA championship. That long-standing player-coach bond gives Garnett’s criticism a particular resonance; he is not merely a former opponent but someone who once thrived under Rivers’ system.

In the podcast excerpt, Garnett criticized the way the Bucks handled the season: "I didn't like how his situation in Milwaukee panned out. I thought they should have stuck to a plan, made a plan and stuck to it. I thought they had a plan, and then in the middle of it, it all went to sh*t and nobody stayed true to nothing." He added, "I thought a lot of them guys quit on Doc, real sh*t. I think a lot of them guys up there quit on Doc. They didn't fight through. I know what fight looks like, it didn't look like that on a nightly basis." The remarks echo a broader fan consensus that Rivers bore responsibility for the team’s lackluster performance.

Garnett’s observations remind readers that the coach-player relationship is a two-way street. When a team’s collective effort stalls, even a respected former player can see the cracks, and his candid commentary adds a personal layer to the public debate surrounding Rivers’ tenure in Milwaukee. The Bucks now face the task of appointing a new architect before the upcoming NBA Draft, a decision that will shape the franchise’s direction for years to come.