Doc Rivers became head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers in 2013. Since then, he has won 351 regular-season games, putting him first in franchise history in the coaching ranks. He also has 20 playoff wins, which is first in franchise history as well.
However, there's a chance all of those wins might not have happened.
Rivers told TNT's Ernie Johnson that he regretted taking the Clippers job within a month and thought about quitting because of then-owner Donald Sterling:
Doc Rivers – "My ego really thought, 'Okay, I can turn this franchise. This is the worst franchise in sports and I can do this.’ I took it, I thought it was a great challenge. I will be honest: Within weeks of taking the job, I knew I was in trouble. I knew I'd made a mistake.” pic.twitter.com/9CgQw1fL26
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) May 19, 2020
The whole Donald Sterling saga is in the news again after Quibi’s new documentary called “Blackballed” came out.
In the documentary, former Clippers star point guard Chris Paul, center DeAndre Jordan, forward Matt Barnes, shooting guard JJ Redick and Doc Rivers explain how they asserted their power during the Sterling saga that took place during the 2014 playoffs.
It's good that Rivers didn't quit his job, because he was the perfect coach to lead the team during the Sterling saga. Plus, Steve Ballmer owns the Clippers now and has turned the franchise around quickly.
Before the 2019-20 season was suspended due to COVID-19, the Clippers were in second place in the Western Conference standings. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George had the team at 44-20 before the season was put to a halt.
If basketball starts up again this season, Rivers will have a good shot of winning his second NBA championship as a coach. Rivers and the Clippers will likely battle the Los Angeles Lakers for Western Conference supremacy.
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