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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."
Steele was once a focal point of ESPN’s NBA coverage, even hosting Countdown for several seasons for the network. Since leaving ESPN in 2023, however, Steele has aligned less with the NBA as she leans more into conservative commentary. And during a recent appearance on Dave Rubin’s The Rubin Report, Steele said she didn’t watch an NBA game this past season until the playoffs, claiming her years of getting a behind-the-scenes view of the league made her dislike it even more. “Just knowing that so many of them are full of sh*t with what they say versus what they do. And seeing the passive aggressiveness from some of these head coaches, whether it’s Steve Kerr or Doc Rivers — these people that I used to call a friend, especially Doc,” Steele said.
After previously calling Rivers a friend, Steele says any recent interactions have been limited to the now-former NBA head coach sending her DMs to complain about her pivot to being an openly conservative talker. “I’m going to show you later, the DMs from this man,” Steele continued. “Pages and pages of why I’m such an idiot to be a Republican or conservative and support Donald Trump. Out of the blue, he would send me clips, and I’m like, ‘I just want to talk basketball with you’ or ‘How are your kids…?’ “Instead, it’s, ‘I’m so disappointed’ and the sellout thing with a coach. That’s what turns people off with sports. It doesn’t mean you can’t have that opinion. I did too. I just happened to not do it when I was working in sports.”
But Steele doesn’t have to worry about Rivers calling her an idiot again, claiming he has since blocked her social media accounts despite their previous friendship. Like Kerr, Rivers has been one of the more politically outspoken NBA figures in recent seasons. During his brief tenure with the Milwaukee Bucks, Rivers spoke out against ICE, criticized a Trump rally at Madison Square Garden, and narrated a commercial supporting Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
ClutchPoints: Introducing the Hall of Fame class of 2026: -Amar’e Stoudamire -Mike D’antoni -Doc Rivers -Mark Few -Joey Crawford -Candace Parker -Elena Delle Donne -Chamique Holdsclaw LEGENDS 🙏🏽 (via @NBA)
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Oh No He Didn't: Doc Rivers: "To every player who trusted me enough to coach them, I'm sure there was times that I wasn't easy. I'm sure there was times that I wasn't right. But I can guarantee you every time my motives were right. I was always if you know either trying to make you better or trying to get the team to win"
Oh No He Didn't: Doc Rivers: "Standing here tonight my voice is already raspy...this isn't my real voice, coaching stole it from me. I swear I used to have a high voice. I used to be able to really sing. Can't do that anymore" 😂
Bobby Krivitsky: Doc Rivers on the Celtics trading Jaylen Brown to the 76ers: "I was surprised, like everybody else." His reaction to it included a message he once got from Tommy Heinsohn: "Don't ever lose to the Sixers." "This trade would've driven him crazy."
Celtics on CLNS: Doc Rivers: ‘I wouldn’t be here without Boston” Doc on HOF induction and the Celtics ☘️
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Doc Rivers’ career coaching the Orlando Magic (1999-2004), Celtics (2004-2013), Clippers (2013-2020), Philadelphia 76ers (2020-23) and Milwaukee Bucks (2023-26) earned him a place on the league’s top 15 coaches of all-time list a couple of years ago, and he’s had phenomenal success most coaches can only dream of having. Only five coaches in NBA history have more victories than Rivers’ 1,194 regular-season wins. Only Popovich (1,390), Don Nelson (1,335), Lenny Wilkens (1,332), Jerry Sloan (1,221) and Pat Riley (1,210) have more. He’s coached the fourth-most games in league history (2,060). Among coaches with at least 1,000 games on the sidelines, Rivers has the ninth-highest regular-season win percentage (58.0 percent). A former staffer under Rivers said that he doesn’t feel Rivers gets as much credit as he should for his offensive creativity with X’s and O’s. “I used to look at his play designs and think, ‘Oh, that puts the defense in a real tough spot,’” former Clippers video coordinator Mo Dakhil told The Athletic.
Doc Rivers felt nervous on the morning he expected a call from the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame about whether he would be inducted as a coach in the Class of 2026. Rejection a year earlier during his first bid did nothing to ease his tension. The 64-year-old felt his anxiety grow as his phone stayed silent. “It’s so funny. They tell you a time period. Like, ‘Hey, the Hall is going to call between 9 and 11.’ That call doesn’t mean it’s a good call,” Rivers told Andscape from the Ritz-Carlton Charlotte on April 18. “And I had physical therapy that morning from 8 to 9. Right after, I told the therapist, ‘Hey, I got to be done about five minutes earlier today.’ I drove to the office, so right at 9 I walked in the office and there’s no phone ringing. I’m like, ‘OK. So there ain’t a cellphone call.’
“So about 9:15, I get a ping, text, and it was like, ‘Hey Doc, we’ve tried to call you twice, but you haven’t picked up the phone.’ I didn’t realize, because I’m old, that I have my phone blocked to unidentified numbers, and obviously I don’t have, like, ‘Hall of Fame’ saved on my phone. So I said, ‘Oh my God!’ So, I said, ‘Call back. Phone’s on.’ “They call, and the first thing [Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame executive director John Doleva] says is, ‘Hey, I want to be the first to tell you [that] you’re a member of the 2026 Hall of Fame.’ And that was awesome.”
Was it a relief to make it to the Hall of Fame? Doc Rivers: I believed that I was going to get in at some point. But it was a relief that I was in. I wanted to get in while I was still coaching, and I achieved that. I championed that. I really fought early on for Pop [Gregg Popovich]. I’ve always got something I’m fighting for. I just felt like Steve Kerr, myself, Spo [Erik Spoelstra, should be Hall of Famers]. College coaches get to coach and be [named] “Hall of Fame coach.” But [active] NBA coaches rarely get that. I really believe it would have saved some of these guys’ jobs, like George Karl. … His career should have been in the Hall. Then he gets in after he leaves [coaching]. But would he still have been coaching if he was “Hall of Fame coach George Karl?” So, it’s a big thing for me, and I’m still pushing to get Rick Carlisle in now. It’s so funny. I’m in, but now I’m still working for NBA coaches.