After missing out on a first ballot inclusion last year, Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers made the cut into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s 2025 class. It seems not many netizens are on board with this decision, despite him being named one of the 15 greatest coaches in NBA history in 2021.

Rivers advanced to the finalist stage in his second year of eligibility, joining 10 others on the North American Committee ballot. Former NBA All-Stars Blake Griffin and Amar’e Stoudemire will also be finalists, along with three-time WNBA champion Candace Parker. Team USA’s 1996 women’s national team members Elena Delle Donne and Chamique Holdsclaw were among the premier names announced as finalists.

There are 21 total finalists this year. Others include Marques Johnson, Mark Few, Jerry Welsh, Dick Motta, Gary McKnight, Kelvin Sampson, Molly Bolin-Kazmer, Tal Brody, Joey Crawford, and Kevin Johnson. But the fan reactions seem negative, mainly about Doc Rivers’ inclusion. “I will be dammed if Doc Rivers is a Hall of Famer.”

Heading into the Bucks game against Orlando on Feb. 11, Rivers has a career record of 1,183-846 (58.3%) in the regular season. The Bucks’ head coach is 86-83 in his time with Milwaukee. He is currently No. 6 all-time in coaching wins, and No. 5 in games coached. He is No. 4 all-time in playoff victories with 114, but the majority of his accolades have seemingly come during his early years in the league.

He has had stints with the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, L.A. Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, and now the Bucks. But the last championship he won was in 2008 with the Celtics Big 3. In fact, the only other time he was in the NBA Finals was again in 2010. Since then, it’s pretty much first-round exits. So, the netizens are questioning if that one championship is enough to secure Hall of Fame status.

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Fans are not backing Doc Rivers’ Hall of Fame resume

Some consider Rivers one of the best coaches of all time; however, others say his notorious playoff losses show he gets more credit than he actually deserves. Of his 21 playoff trips, Rivers’ teams have gotten to the NBA Finals only twice. He has gone 1-1 in the Finals, but most commonly, his teams have lost in the first round. That’s why one passionate fan bluntly wrote, “Doc Rivers been living off that 2008 championship for decades.”

These sentiments were similar to those of others who commented, “Doc Rivers? nah if he gets in the HOF is a joke. That 2008 chip is being sucked dry.” In fact, last year, The Athletic conducted an anonymous poll of 158 NBA players, but only 73 players voted for the league’s worst coach option. Doc Rivers came in third, with 12.3 percent, and to make matters worse, he was the first coach of a playoff-bound franchise to make the cut.

If certain players don’t view the Bucks’ head coach as a Hall of Famer, then fans questioning the decision gets more validation. A fan asked, “why is Doc Rivers on here?” Infamously, Rivers is the only head coach in NBA history to have blown a 3-1 lead in the playoffs three times. That’s why a netizen sarcastically suggested, “Doc Rivers should thank the Big 3 and Rondo for making him look like an NBA coach.”

But there are players as well who defended the current Bucks head coach’s infamous record. Paul Pierce stated, “He gets you prepared. He’s a great play-caller. At the end of the day, he puts you in a good position.” Being on the Celtics when they won the championship, surely Pierce’s opinion holds weight. But currently, it’s not enough to change the fans’ perception.