Within the modern era, team accountability seems to always fall on NBA coaches. If teams don’t succeed, the head coaches face the fury. Doc Rivers, among the greatest coaches, has become a regular victim of such critiques. At times it seems unfair. His lack of success in the postseason and methods have often come under the pump. Recently, when he took over the Milwaukee Bucks, now Lakers HC, JJ Redick blamed him for always making “excuses”.

But to Rivers, the outside noise that questions his legacy has and never will matter. “My dad used to say something, ‘If somebody said something you would never listen to, why would you ever pay attention to it?’” the seasoned coach says about it. Despite what his reputation might be, as a coach, the records do have a voice of their own.

With over two decades of NBA experience, Rivers has cemented himself as a coach that brings prosperity. In his 23 full seasons as a coach, only twice has Rivers posted a losing record. Even that had some intent behind it. “The two losing seasons, we were trying to f—— lose,” Rivers expanded.

Aside from that, he has had 21 seasons with a record of over .500. Furthermore, the 63-year-old justifies his credibility by his placements among some of the greatest coaches in NBA history. Having the accolades and a title to support his decorated tenure, he took some inspiration from Deion Sanders to shrug off the naysayers.

“My numbers don’t lie… It’s almost like Deion Sanders said in that interview. There’s nothing you can say or do that’s going to take away from what I’ve done, and I’ll never allow that,” Rivers told the New York Times. However, with all that said, Doc Rivers isn’t done with putting the pressure upon himself to produce results.

A huge season awaits Doc Rivers and the Bucks

In the half-season with the Deers, Rivers couldn’t immediately make an impact. The Bucks not only fell apart, but right before the postseason, just as some tempo was built, Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered an injury. The Indiana Pacers beat them in the first round, handicapped by the loss of the Greek Freak.

Since then, the franchise has made some tremendous additions, especially to aid their waning defense. The likes of Gary Trent Jr. and Taurean Prince are poised for an important role under Rivers. As far as the offense goes, Rivers feels rejuvenated with the resources at hand. Lillard and Antetokounmpo are an emphatic tandem when in sync.

The pressure though is immense. And it’s something that Rivers embraces as it commands him to do a tidy job. “Having said that, I want to do more. And to do more, you have to put yourself in situations where you’re going to be criticized if you don’t do it. And I’m fine with that,” he said in the interview.

The price at stake is the immediate future of the franchise. Antetokounmpo wants to remain associated with titles. Given the ages of their core stars, the window for the Bucks to win is now. That’s how Rivers is seeing it. He isn’t focused on playing it slow, but it’s rather championship or nothing.

A lot depends on the outcome of this season. Rivers, no matter the history, is very capable of bringing another title to Wisconsin. Furthermore, he has the ability to stitch star partnerships and harness their best. Do you think he can do it with Milwaukee? Let us know your views in the comments below.