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Ohm Youngmisuk: Ty Lue said Natalie Nakase winning a title in her second season is a testament to her hard work and dedication. Nakase comes from the Lue/Doc Rivers coaching tree and Lue said Nakase’s ability to connect with and how she treats people helped her become a championship coach.
Tyrese Maxey: Here yall go🫤… I’ve never even been to DOC house 😂 Sleeper 76ers: Tyrese Maxey went to Doc Rivers’ house out of frustration over James Harden’s lack of effort in the playoffs 😳 per @stephenasmith via @FirstTake
Doc Rivers: "Every guy has his own social network. Every player has a publicist now, and there's so much more concern with how they look more than how we look, and so I think it's tougher now, coaching-wise. I think you have to get the guys out of the day into the week and that's not easy. That takes a lot of doing. You have to show them now how you can help them, to see what they want too, through team, and you have to show them that if the whole team wins, then everybody wins and it's a sacrifice that you're going to have to make."
Doc Rivers: "Voting has been made, it was, it's becoming hard again. But at one point it's made so easy we didn't do it. We took it for granted. We are learning now where it can be taken away from you, and you have to keep working on it. I swear there are so many similarities to sports. It's unbelievable. If you stop working in sports, if you take anything for granted in sports, if you take not thinking you're just going to continue to win, you'll start losing."
One of the main subjects the documentary explores is Philadelphia's heartbreaking loss to the Atlanta Hawks in Game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals. Simmons faced intense criticism after passing the ball instead of attempting an open dunk late in the game. The moment quickly became one of the most discussed plays of his career and intensified the pressure surrounding the young star. "How did I feel? I was like, 'What a piece of 'shit,'" Simmons said in the documentary about his head coach at the time, Doc Rivers.
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Simmons added: "When you have a relationship with somebody, and they have your back, I think certain things are supposed to be handled certain ways. But then you also gotta look at it from the side of 'he's got a job.' You know, he's making his money." "He ain't trying to lose his job or anything like that. So, when times get tough, people start panicking. People throw people under the bus, and that's just, it's just what happened."
Williams reflected on his time with the Los Angeles Clippers, admitting he was so drunk on one occasion that he was willing to serve suspension just to avoid playing. “I’m drunk. I don’t think I can play. I said, ‘I’m sorry, bro, but I’m drunk. So, you want to suspend me or whatever? I’mma take my lick,'" Williams started. Doc Rivers, Clippers coach at the time, didn't want to hear it, and forced Lou to play the whole second quarter in order to "sweat it out" and close the game in the fourth period. “Doc looked at me square in my eye. He said, ‘I’m going to play your ass this whole second quarter, ’cause I need you to sweat that sh*t out, and I’m going to need you in the fourth.’” “He played me the whole second quarter. I had 24 in the fourth."
After the 76ers lost to the Atlanta Hawks in Game 7 of the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals, a reporter asked coach Doc Rivers whether Ben Simmons could be the point guard on a championship team. “I don’t know that question or the answer to that right now,” Rivers responded. “So I don’t know the answer to that.” Simmons, the All-Star point guard on the No. 1-seeded Sixers, struggled in the series and infamously passed on a potential dunk in the closing moments of the Sixers’ Game 7 loss. In Being Ben, an ESPN documentary, the Hawks series and Rivers’ controversial response are explored in full. Five years later, it seems that Rivers’ words were the final straw for Simmons, who requested a trade in the ensuing offseason. “How did I feel? I was like, ‘What a piece of ‘s—,’” Simmons, now 30, said in the documentary.
Simmons explained that he expected Rivers to handle the situation differently given their relationship, while also acknowledging the pressure coaches face. “When you have a relationship with somebody and they have your back, I think certain things are supposed to be handled certain ways,” Simmons said. “But then you also gotta look at it from the side of ‘He’s got a job.’ You know, he’s making his money. He ain’t trying to lose his job or anything like that.”
Doc Rivers joins an NBC roster that also includes his son Austin, who last season primarily contributed to the network’s “On the Bench” broadcasts on Peacock — wherein game analysts are situated aside the competing teams rather than behind the broadcast table. Flood said “On the Bench” will expand to all Monday night games on Peacock this season, rather than one a week. “We think it’s a signature element for Monday nights, and the league was on board with us to help the access and get us on those benches,” Flood said, “so we’re all in with that.”
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The network announced on Monday that Rivers will be an analyst on games this season across NBC, Peacock and NBCSN, along with the possibility for some studio work. “I honestly can say I’m absolutely retired,” Rivers said in a phone interview with The Associated Press. “I had a long run. It ended up in the (Naismith) Hall of Fame (earlier this year) and I am so thankful that I was able to coach and played as long as I did. For the first time, I can focus on giving TV my 100% attention, which I’m really looking forward to. “I think I’ve always been pretty honest. I’ve always celebrated the game in general, but told the truth. I don’t think anyone has ever had a problem with honesty and the way you tell the truth. There are always times where you offend people because of the truth, but I’ve never really worried about that.”
Doc Rivers -- a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame coaching inductee, 2008 NBA champion head coach of the Boston Celtics, 13-year player, and veteran broadcaster -- is joining NBC Sports as an NBA game analyst when its coverage of the association continues next month across NBC, Peacock, and NBCSN. Rivers has more than 40 years of NBA experience as both a player and head coach.
“I loved playing the game, I loved coaching it, and I’ve always loved talking about it,” said Doc Rivers. “I have great memories working with NBC, and I’m excited to be back and share my perspective alongside such a talented team. This season should be a lot of fun. I can’t wait.”
Glen Davis on Doc Rivers: "He was a good motivator and he was a good offensive scheme coach. He knew what to do offensively. And he was a good motivator meaning as far as just the moment. There were moments where we needed him to say something to push us through and he would come and say something dope. But as far as player-wise, I think he was a horrible coach for players. When you look at all the players that he's kind of killed their careers as far as just, it's like he he got a lot of kills. He killed a lot of players that could have played a little bit more, but you know."