Myles Turner said Doc Rivers never fined Bucks for being late

TL;DR

Myles Turner revealed on his podcast that under former coach Doc Rivers, the Milwaukee Bucks never fined players for tardiness, with Giannis Antetokounmpo being a notable offender. Turner described the lack of accountability as unprecedented in his experience.

Key points

Myles Turner discussed player accountability on his podcast
Doc Rivers never fined Bucks players for tardiness
Giannis Antetokounmpo was noted as a major offender
Turner described the situation as unprecedented in his experience

Mentioned in this story

Myles TurnerGiannis AntetokounmpoBreanna StewartDoc Rivers

Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks forward Myles Turner, speaking on his Game Recognize Game podcast with WNBA star Breanna Stewart, said players were never held accountable for tardiness under former coach Doc Rivers, and Giannis Antetokounmpo was one of the biggest culprits.

"Doc Rivers, he didn't fine anybody, ever" Turner said, when the topic of player fines came up. "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've personally ever experienced. But every other team I've been on, guys got fined. There was a sense of order and a sense of understanding. You're late to the plane, [you get a] fine. You're late to treatment, fine. You're late to film, fine.

"If the plane took off at 2 o'clock, we weren't leaving until 4:30. I'm being so serious, bro. It was crazy. Guys were an hour late to the plane. It got to the point where I just knew not to show up until an hour after they said the plane was taking off."

Stewart asked who Turner saw as the biggest offender.

"Giannis is gonna show up whenever he wants, really," Turner said. "I think that just came with the territory. And once I kind of saw what was going down I said, 'Hey, man, more power to you. They ain't going to fine you. Do what you do.'"

Antetokounmpo has had some veteran leverage in this department for several years, and this was Turner's first year with the Bucks after spending a decade in Indiana.

Rivers also said in an April podcast that he didn't hold players accountable for being late.

The Hall of Fame coach joined The Bill Simmons Podcast, and when Simmons asked Rivers what he could have done better during the season, Rivers said, “I thought one of the things that I’ve always been known for is holding everyone accountable for everything, being on time. And I thought I was very lax on that this year. There’s reasons for that I can’t get into, but it bothered me that I wasn’t.'"

Turner and Stewart also discussed officiating, with Turner saying Antetokounmpo "plays the game very pure" and doesn't get an appropriate measure of foul calls that he deserves because he doesn't flop.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Q&A

Did Doc Rivers fine players for being late with the Bucks?

No, Myles Turner stated that Doc Rivers never fined any players for tardiness during his time with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Who was the biggest offender for tardiness on the Bucks under Doc Rivers?

Myles Turner identified Giannis Antetokounmpo as one of the biggest culprits for being late.

What did Myles Turner say about accountability for tardiness on the Bucks?

Turner mentioned that players often arrived late to flights and meetings without facing fines, which he found unusual compared to other teams he had been on.