What an entertaining father-son moment on national television! Austin Rivers interviewed his father, Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers, before Monday night’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The exchange, which aired on Peacock as part of NBC’s NBA coverage, quickly went viral… and rightfully so.
Austin Rivers, a former NBA guard turned sideline reporter for NBC Sports, was assigned to cover the Bucks-Cavs matchup. Before tip-off, he approached his father for a brief interview. What followed was a hilarious and unscripted exchange.
Austin opened the segment by addressing his father as “Doc,” prompting an immediate reaction.
“Doc? That’s my name?” Doc Rivers asked, raising an eyebrow.
Austin, laughing, replied,
“Tonight. Alright? Tonight, tonight.”
Doc smirked and responded,
“OK, I’ll give you that.”
The playful banter continued as Austin asked whether Doc was looking forward to having him “hovering around the Bucks’ huddles” throughout the night.
“You’ve hovered around me my whole life,” Doc quipped. “So this part will be easy.”
The interview lasted less than two minutes but was packed with memorable lines. At one point, Austin jokingly asked,
“Why couldn’t you have gotten me a mid-level contract this summer?”
Doc laughed and shook his head, clearly enjoying the moment.
“Doc? That’s my name?”
“Tonight.”
This pregame moment between Austin and his father Doc Rivers ahead of Bucks/Cavs 😂
Watch on Peacock: https://t.co/xHJvqSB5z3 pic.twitter.com/c6lkLSKRlH
— NBA (@NBA) November 18, 2025
NBC Sports, which recently relaunched its NBA coverage, has leaned into personality-driven storytelling, and this father-son moment was a highlight of the evening. The Bucks entered the game with an 8–6 record and were looking to rebound from a loss to Cleveland earlier in the season.
Doc Rivers, who joined the Bucks as head coach in 2024, has coached his son Austin during previous NBA stints, including with the Los Angeles Clippers.
