A victory for the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night earned Doc Rivers a shoutout from the NBA as he moved up the league’s all-time coaching wins list.
With his 1,176th victory, Rivers surpassed George Karl. He’s now chasing Pat Riley, who is sitting fifth with 1,210 wins.
Rivers picked up the accomplishment as the Bucks took care of business against the 11-20 Charlotte Hornets. A 123-113 win was just what the Bucks needed as they look to get back on track.
The NBA Celebrates Doc Rivers
Congrats to @Bucks coach Doc Rivers for moving up to 6th on the all-time COACHING WINS list! Pic.twitter.com/6wDDUwyWr2
— NBA (@NBA) December 30, 2025
Rivers, a former second-round pick as a player, turned in a career that spanned over 800 games.
After spending the first eight years of his playing career in Atlanta, Rivers had stints with the Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, and the San Antonio Spurs.
He joined the coaching game in 1999. Right away, Rivers jumped into a head coaching position with the Orlando Magic.
In five seasons with the Magic, Rivers posted a 171-168 record. He went to coach the Boston Celtics for nine seasons, winning nearly 60 percent of his games.
In 2013, Rivers joined the Los Angeles Clippers for seven seasons. After he parted ways with the team in 2020, Rivers joined the Philadelphia 76ers. That stint lasted three years, before he took a short break and signed with the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks have been going through a tough stretch. With the superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo out for several weeks, battling a lower-body injury, the Bucks have struggled to remain within the Eastern Conference’s early playoff picture.
To close out this past weekend, the Bucks defeated the Chicago Bulls with a controversial ending, after Giannis threw down a dunk in garbage time. Monday’s win helped the Bucks get to 14-19 on the year. Heading into Tuesday’s slate, the Bucks are ranked 11th in the East, sitting behind the Atlanta Hawks.
Just 0.5 games back from the 15-19 Hawks, who have now lost seven-straight, the Bucks have a chance to jump back into the Play-In picture later this week if they can maintain their success.