The Milwaukee Bucks' turbulent 2025-26 season just got a whole lot more interesting behind the scenes. In a candid new episode of the "Game Recognize Game" podcast, Bucks center Myles Turner pulled back the curtain on the team's locker room culture, revealing some startling details about former head coach Doc Rivers' laissez-faire approach to discipline.
"Guys were late all the time," Turner told co-host Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty. "Guys were showing up to film whenever they wanted to show up. Guys were missing meetings. It was one of the craziest things I personally ever experienced."
Turner, who spent a decade with the Indiana Pacers before joining Milwaukee, dropped the bombshell that Rivers "didn't fine anybody ever" during the entire season. This stands in stark contrast to the norm across the NBA, where tardiness to team flights, treatment sessions, and film study typically comes with a financial penalty.
"Any other team I've been on, guys got fined. And there was a sense of order and a sense of understanding," Turner explained. "But I personally did not experience that last year for the first time in my career."
Perhaps most eyebrow-raising? Turner identified superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo as the Bucks player most likely to show up late to team events. For a franchise built around the two-time MVP, this revelation adds another layer to a season that went off the rails spectacularly.
The Bucks stumbled to just 32 wins in 2025-26, missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade. The campaign was marred by injury concerns and trade speculation surrounding Antetokounmpo, creating a storm that ultimately led Rivers to step down as head coach last month.
Enter Taylor Jenkins, the new man at the helm. Jenkins was surprisingly fired by the Memphis Grizzlies late in the 2024-25 season, but now gets a fresh start with a Bucks team desperate for structure and accountability. As Turner put it: "We'll see what Taylor Jenkins does, our new coach."
The irony isn't lost on basketball fans: Rivers, who will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this August, built his reputation on player relationships and veteran leadership. But for a team needing order, it seems the discipline simply wasn't there.
For Bucks fans hoping for a turnaround, the message is clear: the culture shift starts now. Whether Jenkins can restore that "sense of order" Turner described will be one of the biggest storylines heading into next season.