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NBA Fans React to Doc Rivers' Extremely Controversial Statement

Former LA Clippers coach Doc Rivers had come interesting comments.

Joey Linn

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers looks on in the first half against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena.
Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers looks on in the first half against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
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Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers has had a very successful career. An NBA champion with the Boston Celtics in 2008, Rivers has been unable to reach that ultimate goal again, but has put together numerous successful regular seasons.

While he is very accomplished as a head coach, Rivers has overseen some of the most notable postseason collapses in NBA history. Several of these came while he was head coach of the LA Clippers. While there was undoubtedly some injury misfortune for Rivers while he was head coach of the Clippers, his teams blew 3-1 leads in the 2015 and 2020 Western Conference Semifinals.

During a recent interview with Eric Nehm of The Athletic, Rivers denied the idea that he has ever “come up short” as an NBA coach.

Doc Rivers
LA Clippers head coach Doc Rivers against the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs. / Kim Klement-Imagn Images

“But I’ve never come up short, in my opinion,” Rivers said. “Come up short? What does that mean? Like, we didn’t win a title? I go back in Philly. I took that job after we lost in the first round 4-0 (to the Celtics in 2020 under Brett Brown). The next year, we win the East in the regular season. All right. We are one game away from the Eastern finals.”

This has been a very controversial statement among NBA fans.

Via @RBPhillyTake: "One game away from the East finals is not coming up short?"

Via @CelticsAdam34: "What about when u blew a 3-1 lead to the rockets in 2015?"

Via @NOTMARCOMILLER: "I beg to differ"

Via @jbondwagon: "Bro purposely skipped all those years when he’s blowing 3-1 leads in Clippers?"

Via @aykeepitabuck: "He can’t seem to take accountable especially when you blown leads like this and some of those could’ve taken y’all to the finals"

Rivers added via Nehm, “So there’s times where I’m like we’re being evaluated on a different standard. And the great news is I’ve created that standard. So for me, that’s good. But then when the narrative comes that you can’t do it, that’s bulls—. Because I’ve done it and I can do it. It’s just hard to do it. It’s just hard. So I’ve always looked at it that way.”

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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