Doc Rivers

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Lore & Background

Rivers played college basketball for the Marquette Golden Eagles and was selected by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the 1983 NBA draft. He played point guard for the Hawks from 1983 to 1991 and was later a member of the Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, and San Antonio Spurs. Rivers was an All-Star with the Hawks in 1988. After retiring as a player in 1996, Rivers called games for the NBA on TNT. Rivers began his NBA coaching career in 1999. He was the head coach of the Orlando Magic from 1999 to 2003, the Boston Celtics from 2004 to 2013, the Los Angeles Clippers from 2013 to 2020, the Philadelphia 76ers from 2020 to 2023, and the Milwaukee Bucks from 2024 to 2026. Rivers was named the 2000 NBA Coach of the Year in his first season with the Magic and won an NBA championship with the Celtics in 2008. He was also an analyst for ESPN. In April 2026, he was announced as a coaching inductee to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, and will formally enter the Hall that August.

In Their Own Story

Inside the arena during the 2008 playoffs, the tension was palpable as Rivers guided the Celtics through an unprecedented grind. The source notes that the team needed exactly 26 postseason games to win the championship, breaking a record previously held by the New York Knicks in 1994 when they played 25 games; Rivers had actually been part of that 1994 Knick squad as a player. The journey was not without internal doubt, as rumors swirled about his future. After the 2010 Finals loss to the Lakers, Rivers deliberated between staying in Boston or returning to Orlando to be with family. He ultimately chose to honor the final year of his contract for the 2010–11 season. The bond he forged was solidified on May 13, 2011, when, after months of speculation regarding his retirement, ESPN reported that he and the Celtics had agreed to a five-year, $35 million extension. His tenure concluded with a milestone moment on February 6, 2013: a 99–95 victory over the Toronto Raptors marked his 400th win as a Celtic, capping a decade of turning a fractured roster into a title-winning machine.

Reader's Guide

Rivers was a McDonald's All-American for Proviso East High School. He was given his nickname while attending a summer basketball camp at Marquette University while wearing a "Dr. J" t-shirt of Julius Erving. Rivers has alternated on whether the nickname originated from Golden Eagles head coach Al McGuire or assistant Rick Majerus. He played college ball for Marquette and was drafted in the second round (31st overall) of the 1983 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks. He graduated from Marquette by completing course work while he was an active NBA player. Rivers played point guard for the Atlanta Hawks from 1983 to 1991. His first NBA start was against Julius Erving, who referred to Rivers as "Doc". On March 4, 1986, Rivers recorded a career-high 21 assists in a game against the Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged a double-double for the 1986–87 season with 12.8 points and 10.0 assists per game. In 1988, Rivers played in the NBA All-Star Game. He received the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 1990. After eight seasons with the Hawks, Rivers remains their all-time leader in assists with 3,866. Rivers later spent one year as a starter for the Los Angeles Clippers (1991–1992), two years playing for the New York Knicks (1992–1994), and two years playing for the San Antonio Spurs (1994–1996). Rivers retired after the 1996 season. During his professional career, Rivers played 864 regular-season games in which he averaged 10.9 points, 5.7 assists, and 3 rebounds per game. Rivers played for the United States national team during the 1982 FIBA World Championship in Colombia. He was named the tournament's MVP after leading the United States to the gold medal game where they lost against the Soviet Union, 94–95. Rivers began his coaching career with the Orlando Magic in 1999. He won the Coach of the Year award in 2000 after his first year with the Magic. The Magic made the postseason in Rivers's next three years as head coach, but he was fired in 2003 after a 1–10 start to the season. After spending a year working as a commentator for the NBA on ABC, he was hired by the Boston Celtics as their head coach in 2004. On June 17, 2008, Rivers won his first and sole NBA Championship as a head coach after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. The Celtics needed an NBA record 26 postseason games to win it. Rivers led the Celtics to the 2010 NBA Finals, where they once again

Did You Know?

• Rivers was named the 2000 NBA Coach of the Year in his first season with the Orlando Magic.
• Rivers won an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008.
• Rivers is the all-time leader in assists for the Atlanta Hawks with 3,866.
• Rivers was the first NBA coach to coach his own son, Austin Rivers.
• Rivers was announced as a coaching inductee to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in April 2026.