Doc Rivers Out As Clippers Head Coach

Posted on by Sagar Biswas

Doc Rivers will not be returning as Los Angeles Clippers head coach, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

What We Know:

  • The Clippers and Rivers have agreed to part ways. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer said of Rivers, “Doc has been a terrific coach for the Clippers, an incredible ambassador, and a pillar of strength during tumultuous times.”
  • Rivers posted a statement to Twitter thanking the franchise and the fans.

https://twitter.com/DocRivers/status/1310693712524120067?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1310693712524120067%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_3&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fbleacherreport.com%2Farticles%2F2911065-report-doc-rivers-out-as-head-coach-after-clippers-blow-3-1-lead-vs-nuggets

  • The new coaching vacancy for the Clippers will be sought-after yet pressure-filled. The team has stars in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, however, the expectation with this team has been championship-or-bust. The team will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing season where they blew a 3-1 lead in the second round, extending their 50-year conference finals drought. Prime candidates include Clippers assistant coach Tyronne Lue and ESPN commentator Jeff Van Gundy.
  • Doc Rivers now enters an exciting coaching market. The former Coach of the Year and 2008 NBA champion will be one of, if not the most, sought-after coaching candidate. The Philadelphia 76ers and New Orleans Pelicans have already reached out to Rivers.
  • Rivers coached the Clippers for seven seasons from 2013 to 2020 and notched a winning record in each season. Rivers shepherded the franchise during the Chris Paul-Blake Griffin days and helped rehabilitate the franchise’s lowly image, eventually making it attractive enough for Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.
  • Rivers has been an NBA head coach since 1999, coaching the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, and LA Clippers. Rivers won a championship with the Celtics in 2008 and led them back to the NBA Finals in 2010. He is one of the most respected coaches in the league, but his playoff record has been lacking in recent years. The Clippers twice blew a 3-1 lead in 2015 and 2020 and never made it past the second round of the playoffs. Rivers is the only coach in NBA history to blow multiple 3-1 series leads, losing 3 going back to his Orlando days.

Rivers also held a front office executive role for the Clippers and helped lead the franchise through the controversy of former-owner Donald Sterling’s racist comments.

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