Everybody within the basketball world appears to be ready for the Milwaukee Bucks to formally rent Doc Rivers. After firing Adrian Griffin 43 video games into his stint with the staff, stories instantly started to pop up indicating Rivers is the frontrunner to fill the emptiness.
Whether or not or not Rivers really will get the job stays to be seen, however in a reasonably unusual flip of occasions on Tuesday, TNT’s NBA studio present broke the information that the deal is completed. Citing CNN Sports activities, TNT’s Adam Lefkoe advised viewers that Rivers accepted the position in Milwaukee.
It was a curious report for a couple of causes. The apparent one, in fact, is that CNN Sports activities isn’t precisely thought of a spot to get breaking information, however the a lot weirder factor is that not one of the ordinary NBA insider had this one. That included Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, who was one of many first to have the information of Griffin’s ouster and is TNT’s go-to NBA insider. (Bleacher Report, CNN, NBA TV, and TNT all exist underneath the Warner Brothers Discovery umbrella, and Haynes was a part of TNT’s NBA protection on Tuesday night.)
This isn’t to say that scooping greater names is unimaginable, it’s simply not particularly frequent. Add in that there was nothing on the CNN Sports activities web site or Twitter account and one thing appeared amiss right here. After which, Bill Reiter of CBS Sports introduced phrase that the report was false, and an entire lot a crimson flags began to pop up.
Regardless of that, CNN acknowledged that the report went by way of its ordinary editorial course of, which made them snug operating with the information.
NEW: The report that the Milwaukee Bucks are hiring Doc Rivers did certainly come from CNN and was “fully-vetted” by the community earlier than it was handed alongside to TNT, two sources advised @FOS. https://t.co/RoScyJk8j4
— A.J. Perez (@byajperez) January 24, 2024
On why the information wasn’t on CNN’s web site or on any of the community’s social channels, the 2 sources advised @FOS that it was doubtless attributable to CNN’s protection of the GOP main in New Hampshire.
— A.J. Perez (@byajperez) January 24, 2024
Replace: A CNN spokesperson says that “CNN reported the information and it went by way of our editorial course of.”
A weird scenario — and a report that essentially the most plugged-in NBA reporters haven’t but matched — however CNN/TNT/NBA TV is standing behind it.
— Kevin Draper (@kevinmdraper) January 24, 2024
Within the aftermath of the sport between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers that featured Haynes because the sideline reporter, Lefkoe continued to speak on TNT in regards to the deal prefer it was achieved, at the same time as Jamal Crawford appeared to precise a little bit skepticism.
Within the Lakers-Clippers postgame, TNT remains to be going with a CNN report that Doc Rivers is being employed as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Adam Lefkoe: “This based on CNN.”
Jamal Crawford: “CNN?”
Lefkoe: “CNN.” pic.twitter.com/gqcBnG2UI7
— Terrible Asserting (@awfulannouncing) January 24, 2024
Not lengthy after this, we bought our weirdest twist of this entire saga: Haynes — who, once more, is normally the individual TNT goes to for these types of issues — simply flat out refuted the report from CNN, saying that there’s no deal in place as of now.
Milwaukee Bucks and Doc Rivers proceed to work in the direction of a deal that can make him the franchise’s subsequent head coach, however there isn’t a settlement in place as of now, league sources inform @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) January 24, 2024
It’s once more price mentioning that Rivers, a at the moment in-game analyst for ESPN, seems to be the clear frontrunner right here, partly as a result of the Bucks entrance workplace had him function an “casual marketing consultant” to Griffin earlier within the 12 months. We’ll maintain you up to date on this one.
