How TNT ended up with surprising ‘CNN Sports’ Doc Rivers report

Anyone watching the Knicks-Nets postgame show on TNT or seeing the latest Doc Rivers development on social media Tuesday night all likely had the same question.

What is CNN Sports?

Adam Lefkoe delivered the news on TNT, citing CNN Sports, that Rivers, who joined ESPN after being fired by the 76ers last year, has accepted the Milwaukee Bucks head coaching job after they fired first-year head coach Adrian Griffin earlier Tuesday despite a 30-13 record.

“Are we ready for breaking news?” Lefkoe began, holding his left hand up to his left ear, indicating he was being told the information. “We have news in from CNN.”

Ex-NBAer Jamal Crawford interrupted, seemingly surprised by where this yet-to-be revealed news was coming from.

Doc Rivers (l.), who currently works for ESPN, is a candidate to become the Bucks’ new head coach. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

“From CNN?” Crawford asked.

“From CNN Sports,” Lefkoe resumed, “that Doc Rivers has accepted the Milwaukee Bucks head coaching position.”

While the report turned out to be correct, it initially caused confusion as CNN Sports is not a well-known brand, and such news would normally be broken by one of the NBA’s go-to insiders like ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, The Athletic’s Shams Charania or Chris Haynes, who is part of the Warner Bros. Discovery family with CNN as a reporter for TNT and Bleacher Report.

From left: Shaq, Adam Lefkoe, Candace Parker and Jamal Crawford Tuesday night during TNT’s Doc Rivers newsbreak. NBA on TNT

Haynes had refuted the report on X, saying that while the Bucks and Rivers were working toward a deal, no agreement was in place as of 12:25 a.m. Wednesday morning.

The Post has learned that CNN got the scoop but didn’t feel it was appropriate to break into its coverage of the New Hampshire primary Tuesday night to report the news, so they gave it to TNT.

CNN didn’t have a story on its website with the scoop until hours after TNT reported it on-air, and the byline on the story was CNN Staff.

Doc Rivers reacts while coaching the 76ers against the Celtics in the second round of the 2023 NBA playoffs. Getty Images

A CNN spokesperson said that “we stand by our reporting.”

While the report remains somewhat mysterious, Wojnarowski, Haynes and Charania all confirmed around 11:25 a.m. Wednesday morning that the Bucks were hiring Rivers to be their new head coach.

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