Former Duke Basketball Guard Austin Rivers Lands New Gig

The Duke basketball one-and-done isn't on an NBA squad, but he'll be on the air.

Author:
Matt Giles
Oct 27, 2023 4:33 PM EDT

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ESPN revealed this week that NBA journeyman and former Duke basketball guard Austin Rivers, best remembered in Durham for his 3-point splash to give the Blue Devils a road win over UNC in 2012, is joining its team as a studio analyst.

On Monday, The Athletic's Richard Deitsch explained the 31-year-old Rivers' expected role for the network:

"Rivers' main focus will be studio work, but at some point, he will cover a game with his father, Doc Rivers. Doc joined the network on a multiyear deal in July after spending most of the past 24 seasons as an NBA coach. He had a brief stint as an ESPN/ABC analyst during the 2003-04 season after leaving the Orlando Magic."

Austin Rivers isn't shy about expressing his opinions and analysis on his podcast, Off Guard With Austin Rivers. He should make for a good fit behind the mic at ESPN.

Furthermore, he has 11 years of experience as an NBA player, spanning seven franchises, since getting drafted at No. 10 overall following his one-and-done Duke basketball campaign.

And on that note, there's still a chance Rivers find a spot on an NBA roster later this season. He's averaged 8.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 34.9 percent from three across his 707 regular season games in the league.

However, he's now over five years removed from the only two seasons he averaged double-digit points (his career-high 15.1 points per game came in 2017-18, his last season with the Los Angeles Clippers).

Last season, Rivers averaged a career-low 4.9 points, seeing action in 52 games for the Minnesota Timberwolves.