[3] His oldest son Jeremiah played basketball at Georgetown University and Indiana University,[24] and has played in the NBA D-League for the Maine Red Claws. [30] 76ers play-by-play announcer Marc Zumoff refuses to call Rivers by his nickname and instead refers to him by his birth name when announcing his games. [10], On June 25, 2013, the Los Angeles Clippers acquired Rivers from the Celtics for an unprotected 2015 NBA first round draft pick. [16], On May 31, 2019, Rivers made comments on Kawhi Leonard during an appearance on ESPN, stating that "He is the most like Jordan that we've seen". [13] On August 27, 2014, he signed a new five-year contract with the Clippers.[14]. He made the postseason in his next three years as coach, but was fired in 2003 after a 1–10 start to the season. On January 16, 2015, Rivers became the first NBA coach to coach his own son, Austin Rivers, until June 26, 2018, when he was traded to the Washington Wizards for Marcin Gortat. Paul and Griffin soon left the team, and the Clippers began a rebuilding effort. That created a … Los Angeles’ loss is the Philadelphia 76ers‘ gain. Rivers went on to play at Marquette University, whose then assistant coach Rick Majerus nicknamed him “Doc” because Rivers had worn a “Dr. Rivers became the first coach in NBA history with three teams who failed to advance from a best-of-seven series after taking a 3–1 lead. During his first years with the Celtics, he was criticized by many in the media for his coaching style, most vociferously by Bill Simmons, who in 2006 publicly called for Rivers to be fired in his columns. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. Sam Cassell is reportedly set to follow Doc Rivers to the Philadelphia 76ers after losing out on the Clippers head coaching gig. The Celtics continued to field one of the best teams in the NBA through the end of the decade and into the 2010s, as the team qualified for the playoffs in each of the five seasons following its championship run, including a return to the NBA finals in 2009–10 (a loss in a rematch against the Lakers) and a loss in the conference finals to the eventual-champion Miami Heat in 2011–12. The team again lost in the first round of the postseason the following year, which marked the NBA-record fifth straight time that the Clippers blew a lead in a playoff series that they eventually lost. As expected, Cassell will follow Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. June 7, 1999: Hired as Head Coach by the Orlando Magic November 17, 2003 : Fired as Head Coach by the Orlando Magic April 29, 2004 : Hired as Head Coach by the Boston Celtics [28], Rivers was given his nickname of "Doc" by then-Marquette assistant coach Rick Majerus. Which of these basketball players retired from the NBA with the highest career scoring average? After he was passed over for the LA Clippers head coaching position, assistant coach Sam Cassell will leave the organization. His daughter Callie played volleyball for the University of Florida [25] and is married to NBA player Seth Curry,[26][27] while his younger son Austin currently plays for the Houston Rockets. Rivers led the Celtics to the 2010 NBA Finals where they once again faced the Los Angeles Lakers and lost the series in seven games. [29] Rivers' first NBA start was against Erving, who referred to Rivers as "Doc" and "made [him] feel like a million bucks". Despite Los Angeles having a roster filled with career role players and no stars, the team returned to the playoffs in 2018–19 (a first-round loss to the defending champion Golden State Warriors) behind one of the greatest coaching achievements of Rivers’s career. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). [2] Rivers represented the United States with the national team in the 1982 FIBA World Championship, in which he led the team to the silver medal, despite missing the last shot in the final, which could have given the title to his team. [6] The Celtics needed an NBA record 26 postseason games to win it. [31], Rivers is a member of the National Advisory Board for Positive Coaching Alliance, a national non-profit organization that helps student-athletes and their coaches. The 2014 NBA playoffs first round playoff series against the Golden State Warriors was marred when TMZ released an audiotape containing racially insensitive remarks made by the then-Clippers owner Donald Sterling. Copyright © 2000-2020 Sports Reference LLC. Although Dave Wohl was hired as general manager, Rivers had the final say in basketball matters. Ty Lue owes Doc Rivers his coaching career. Rivers first emerged on the basketball scene as a star at Proviso East High School in the Chicago suburb of Maywood, Illinois, where he seemed destined to become the fourth member of his extended family to become a successful professional athlete: Jim Brewer, his uncle, and a cousin, Byron Irvin, both played in the NBA, and another cousin, Ken Singleton, was a Major League Baseball player. After his third season at Marquette University, Rivers was drafted in the second round (31st overall[3]) of the 1983 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks. Data Provided By [8][9], On February 6, 2013, Rivers notched his 400th win with the Celtics in a 99–95 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Fired after a 1–10 start in 2003–04, he worked as a TV analyst before resuming coaching with the Celtics in 2004–05. He played as a point guard in the NBA and was known for his defense, a trait that has carried over into his coaching. Rivers won the Coach of the Year award in 2000 after his first year with the Magic. After spending a year working as a commentator for the NBA on ABC (calling the 2004 Finals with Al Michaels), he was hired by the Boston Celtics as their head coach in 2004. J” T-shirt (in honour of NBA star Julius Erving) at a summer basketball camp. Announcing our NEW encyclopedia for Kids! Doc Rivers. Rivers later spent one year as a starter for the Los Angeles Clippers and two more for the New York Knicks, before finishing his career as a player for the San Antonio Spurs from 1994 to 1996. Rivers was named the 2000 NBA Coach of the Year in his first season as a head coach with the Orlando Magic. That season, he led the team that was picked to finish last in the league to a near playoff berth. Rivers himself stated that he would not return to the Clippers if Sterling remained as owner the following season. NBA commissioner Adam Silver responded to the controversy by banning Sterling for life and compelling him to sell the team. [20] He had previously been the only coach in NBA history whose teams had twice failed to advance from a best of seven series after taking a 3–1 lead. [7], On May 13, 2011, after months of rumors that he would retire, ESPN reported that the Celtics and Rivers agreed upon a 5-year contract extension worth $35 million. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Or write about sports? Find out more. However, Tim Duncan re-signed with the San Antonio Spurs due to Rivers' strict policy of family members not being allowed to travel in the team's plane.[4]. [30], Rivers has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder according to a personality test he took when he was coaching the Celtics. Rivers began his coaching career with the Orlando Magic in 1999, where he coached for more than four NBA seasons. [17] The Clippers were fined $50,000 due to Rivers' comments in violation of the league's anti-tampering rule. He retired after the 1995–96 season with career averages of 10.9 points, 5.7 assists, and 3 rebounds. Doc Rivers, American professional basketball player and coach who, as head coach of the Boston Celtics, led the team to a National Basketball Association (NBA) championship in 2008. The Clippers had another season of at least 50 wins in 2015–16, but the team lost its opening postseason series after its two best players, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, both sustained season-ending injuries in the Clippers’ fourth playoff game. Majerus called him "Doc" and the players at camp followed suit. After deliberating between staying on the job and leaving the job and returning to spend more time with his family in Orlando, Rivers finally decided that he would honor the last year of his contract and return for the 2010–11 season. June 25, 2013: Released from contract as Head Coach by Boston Celtics. Omissions? Join our linker program. [22], On October 3, 2020, the Philadelphia 76ers announced that they had hired Rivers as their head coach.[23]. He also became the senior vice president of basketball operations on the team. [21], On September 28, 2020, Rivers stepped down following the Clippers' defeat to the Denver Nuggets in the conference semifinals. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. the official stats partner of the NBA. Rivers will obviously have that task with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. With blockbuster trades in which the Celtics acquired Kevin Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Ray Allen from the Seattle SuperSonics, Rivers engineered the greatest turnaround in league history, guiding the Celtics on a dramatic journey to a 66–16 season that culminated in defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 4–2 in the best-of-seven finals. However, he continued to split responsibility for basketball matters with executive vice president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank. He graduated from Marquette while completing course work as an NBA player. The two first connected in Orlando in 2003, when Lue played for Rivers for 11 games before the coach was fired. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? Rivers began his coaching career with the Orlando Magic in 1999, where he coached for more than four NBA seasons. September 28, 2020: Fired as Head Coach by the Los Angeles Clippers, October 3, 2020: Hired as Head Coach by the Philadelphia 76ers, Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Tuesday, October 20, 4:30AM. He is married to his wife, Kris, and they have four children. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Doc-Rivers, All American Speakers - Biography of Doc Rivers. The team nevertheless advanced to the conference semifinals, where it could not upset the higher-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in a close six-game series that featured dramatic last-minute comebacks by both teams. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Rivers guided the Clippers to a tie for the second best record in the Western Conference in 2014–15, but he was hit with criticism for building a thin roster, as the Clippers played its starting five players more than any other team in the NBA that season, a situation that likely contributed to the team’s blowing a three-games-to-one series lead to the Houston Rockets in the second round of the playoffs. In that 2008 championship run, the Celtics had to show grit by winning two seven-game series in the opening two rounds against Atlanta and Cleveland. He also coached the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Clippers during his career. [32], American basketball coach and former player, Rivers coaching the Clippers in December 2013, 1982 FIBA World Championship – Silver medal, List of National Basketball Association career steals leaders, List of National Basketball Association players with most assists in a game, List of National Basketball Association players with most steals in a game, "Rivers reflects on stress son is under: Austin was high school phenom like his father, but Celtics coach says pressure much greater now", https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2018/2/15/17018756/grant-hill-confirms-the-tim-duncan-doc-rivers-airplane-policy-story, "Doc Rivers to Coach East in 2008 All-Star Game", Doc Rivers agrees to 5-year extension with Boston Celtics – ESPN Boston, Rivers gets five-year extension as coach of Celtics, "Doc Rivers won't return to Clippers under Donald Sterling, per report", "CLIPPERS RESTRUCTURE BASKETBALL OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT", "Doc Rivers Agrees to Contract Through 2019 Season", "Press Release: L.A. Clippers Announce Expansion of Leadership Team Through New Roles for Rivers, Frank", "L.A. Clippers, Doc Rivers, Agree to Contract Extension", "Clippers fined $50K for Rivers' Kawhi comments", "NBA fines Clippers $50,000 for Rivers' comments", "Doc Rivers earns 900th career win as Los Angeles Clippers beat Portland Trail Blazers", "Doc Rivers is the only coach ever to blow three 3–1 series leads", "Doc out as Clips coach after surprising playoff exit", Doc Rivers' son to transfer from Georgetown, "Seth Curry and Callie Rivers wed in Malibu ceremony", "Seth Curry and Doc Rivers' Daughter Are Officially Engaged", "Q&A: Doc Rivers on the Clippers, being Glenn and more", "To medicate or not?