Carmelo Anthony Draws Parallels Between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Russell Westbrook After Doc Rivers’ Criticism

November 13, 2026 · Yahoo Sports

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) comes out of the game near the end of the second quarter and walks past Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers as they compete against the Boston Celtics at Fiserv Forum. © Imagn

Earlier this month, Doc Rivers generated a lot of buzz when he commented on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s style of play. On the Nov. 5 episode of ‘The Bill Simmons Podcast,’ the former Milwaukee Bucks coach said that Antetokounmpo is “difficult” and that he relies more on playing with force rather than executing plays all the way through.

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Now, Carmelo Anthony has weighed in. Speaking on Thursday’s edition of his ‘7PM in Brooklyn’ podcast, the Basketball Hall of Famer said that it was questionable for Rivers to zero in on Antetokounmpo’s playing style.

“That is Giannis’ game. It’s relentless. It’s going at you, it’s physical, it’s powerful. It’s not a shot at him to say, there’s no finesse to his game…to pinpoint just that part of his game, he (Rivers) isn’t saying anything wrong, but it’s just, why? What is the point of saying that, as far as the execution part of it?”

Anthony, a 10-time All-Star during his 19-year NBA career, went on to compare Rivers’ comments about Antetokounmpo to the criticism that had previously been thrown at a former NBA MVP.

“Giannis is doing what he did when he won a championship. That’s why we love Giannis. Don’t knock him for why we love him. It’s the same thing with Russell Westbrook. We love Russ for being that same way. And then, when it comes time to not love him, we use that as an excuse.”

Like Antetokounmpo, Westbrook (who announced his retirement in August) was known for his downhill pace and tremendous athleticism. While Westbrook left the NBA without winning a title, Antetokounmpo was able to harness his physical gifts to steer the Bucks to an NBA championship in 2021.

That was three years before Rivers took over as the Bucks’ coach.

Rapper Cam’Ron Questions Doc Rivers’ Legacy After Giannis Antetokounmpo Comments

Another high-profile personality who’s commented on the Giannis Antetokounmpo issue is rapper Cam’ron. The platinum-selling hip hop star has made it clear that he’s firmly on the side of Antetokounmpo as the Doc Rivers controversy plays out.

On Thursday’s episode of his ‘Come And Talk 2 Me’ podcast, Cam’ron (a longtime NBA fan) even challenged Rivers’ legacy of winning in the league.

“We keep putting Doc on this pedestal like he’s this great coach. I think he’s a very good coach, but you won your championship with a prime time Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and a young Rondo coming in…When you think about championships, he got one, and Giannis can say, ‘I got mine, and he got his. I got just as many as him.'”

The ‘Hey Ma’ rapper also criticized Rivers for letting the Kobe Bryant-led LA Lakers win two consecutive championships after the Celtics won the title in 2008.