Celtics News: Doc Rivers Details 'Mistake' in Leaving Boston

Did Rivers regret leaving the Celtics?

Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers faced his former team on Monday when the Bucks went up against the Boston Celtics. The Bucks fell 119-108 to the Celtics, who last season just won their first NBA Finals since Rivers left. The return to Boston brought back old memories from his time coaching the Celtics, and the lingering question of if he made the right decision to leave the team.

Over nine seasons with the Bucks, Rivers compiled a 416–305 record, a .577 win percentage. Rivers coached the Celtics from 2004-13, and led the Celtics to an NBA championship in 2008.

After the 2012-13 season, the Celtics traded Rivers to the Los Angeles Clippers for a first-round pick, per Rivers' request. The Celtics were in the middle of a rebuild, and though several members of the Celtics organization wanted to retain him, Rivers did not want to stay for the rebuild.

Rivers' first season with the Clippers became marred when former Clippers owner Donald Sterling was caught making racially insensitive comments. Sterling was banned from the NBA after the season.

“I thought about it that first year with the Clippers, like, ‘Uh, I may have made a mistake,’” Rivers said, via Steve Bulpett of Heavy.com. “But after that, I didn’t really think about it at all. … One thing I’ve never done is I never look back. I just don’t. I’ve never done that.”

“So I always look back at that and say, ‘Ah, I may have overthought that one.’ But it is what it is. You can’t get it back.”

Rivers does not hold regret for leaving the decision, and has gone on to win at every stop during his career.

“Everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve won,” Rivers said. “I got fired in Philly, and we were .653 in the three years I was there, you know what I mean? So, like, I’m fine with my legacy. I’m eighth in (career) wins, fourth in playoff wins, so I’ve got a great legacy. But I want more. That’s why I’m still doing it.”

Though Rivers ranks No. 8 on the all-time head coaching wins list, he has yet to lead his team to a championship since leaving Boston. He has consistently led his teams to the postseason, but has failed to even reach another NBA Finals, despite fielding talented squads.

More Celtics: Lonnie Walker's New Basketball Opportunity Shuts Door on Celtics Reunion (For Now)