“Couldn’t Turn Down”: Doc Rivers Reveals How He Was Ready to Take a Break from Coaching

The LA Clippers went from win-it-all to lose-it-all in almost a blink of an eye. The #2 seed were 49-23 in the western conference. In the post-season, too, they were overall 7-3 when something went off and their boat sank yet again. The man who took the blame for the debacle was none other than their head coach, Doc Rivers.

Rivers held the tag of chokers close to him as he got fired on September 28, 2020. Why that tag? He spent 7 seasons with the Clippers in which they entered the playoffs on six occasions. However, they failed to enter their maiden conference finals as the franchise kept its history of giving away massive leads alive.

Have a look at one of his last moments being alongside the Clippers-

What was Doc Rivers’ plan after getting fired from his dream project?

You move on to a new dream once you achieve the old one- that’s how the universe works. For Doc Rivers, his first dream came true when Boston Celtics finally won the NBA title under his mentorship. He then got released from the contract and joined the Clippers in a hop to make them win their first glory. It certainly did not happen, and Doc had to part ways with them.

After he was sacked, the instant plan was not to join any other franchise. In his own words, Doc Rivers revealed, “I was not just going to coach anybody. I was ready to take a break. It depended on the team that was available.” He further added, “When Elton [Brand] called, it was an easy get on a plane and take a look… for me was a job that you just couldn’t turn down.”

No one is prepared to get fired, and similar was the case with Doc. Had the Clippers entered the conference Finals and beat the Lakers, there was every chance that the Clippers organization would’ve showered petals on the veteran coach.

A lot remains to achieve for the new head coach of the Sixers

The 58-YO Illinois-born coach has 21-year coaching experience. He could not achieve a championship win with the Orlando Magic, but he sure won the year 2000 Coach of the Year award. His best achievements came with the Celtics with whom he won a ring and then carried them to the NBA Finals in 2010 (where they lost to Kobe Bryant’s Lakers). 

In the Netflix documentary The Playbook, Coach Doc humbly accepts that he does not see himself matching the career of legendary coach Phil Jackson, but he is just following his lifelong passion for coaching and building teams to achieve greatness. Let’s see what he brings to the table of 76ers, given that he took the job because he saw something in this team.

Read: “It’s a City That Values Hardwork”: Doc Rivers Releases His First Statement after Joining Philadelphia 76ers