Five days after returning to the NBA sidelines, Doc Rivers has clinched a spot as the Eastern Conference coach in the All-Star Game, the league announced (via Twitter).
Rivers and his staff wrapped up the honor tonight when the Bucks overcame a 25-point deficit to win in Dallas and the Knicks lost at home to the Lakers. That ensures Milwaukee will have the best record in the East on Sunday’s cutoff date among teams with eligible coaches. The Celtics lead the conference at 37-12, but Joe Mazzulla took part in the 2023 game and coaches aren’t permitted to participate in back-to-back years.
This will be the fourth All-Star Game for Rivers, who also coached in 2008, 2011 and 2021, but he was reluctant to accept it under the circumstances, according to Marc Stein (Twitter link). Stein said Rivers told him before tonight’s contest that he doesn’t think he deserves to take part after just three games with the Bucks, but the NBA overruled him. Rivers plans to give his All-Star ring and bonus to former Bucks coach Adrian Griffin, who was fired on January 23, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
After picking up his first win with Milwaukee tonight, Rivers commented on the All-Star situation, saying, “That is so ridiculously bad.” He also joked about sending his coaching staff to the game and going on vacation (video link).
This year’s game will take place February 18 in Indianapolis. The format is reverting to an East-West matchup after six years of having team captains select the rosters.
Would have been awesome to see Thibs coach the East, especially since he would probably have hated doing it.
Which of these NBA dads would you rather have on your team if you could have them for their entire career, Doc Rivers, Dale Davis, Gerald Wilkins, Juwan Howard, Manute Bol, Kenyon Martin, Dell Curry or Greg Anthony? Rank a top5 if possible…
1. Juwan Howard
2. Dale Davis
3. Doc Rivers
4. Dell Curry
5. Manute Bol
Agree with Dirk, except I’d put Martin 4th and drop Curry and Bol down a spot.
I prob go
1 K-Mart
2 Doc
3 Dale Davis
4 Juwan
5 Gerald
6 Dell Curry
7 G Anthony
8 Manute
Could make a half-decent starting 5 out of this. PG Doc, SG Dell Curry, SF Gerald Wilkins, PF Juwan Howard or K-Mart, C Dale Davis.
I’d try to squeeze Howard and Martin both in, but neither is much of a shooter. And K-Mart is just a little too small to trust as a full-time Center. Comes down to offense versus defense.
Juwan had a reliable j out to abt 20ft. If he was playing nowadays he prob could have a reliable 3. Manute def could shoot the 3. K-Mart is basically what I wanted to John Collins to become but John has never really gotten that mean streak & will to just bully guys the way a Portis or Kenyon Martin would
Kenyon Martin.
Juwan Howard.
Doc.
Dale Davis.
Gerald Wilkins.
Funny that Rivers decided to try and be magnanimous to the league and fans and the league just said no.
He’s trying to save face because there’s a lot of pressure on him to do this. Let’s not forget Glenn Rivers was a snake who helped cause this situation. He was brought in as an advisor to help and it doesn’t take long for Griffin to get fired. Isn’t it pretty convenient the coach who replaced him just happened to be Glenn? Instead of being supportive Glenn used the opportunity for his benefit so he can now take another promising team to the playoffs only to lose a 3-1 series.
Hahaha you’ve gotta be kidding me
It’s a joke. I’m glad that Doc sees it that way, too.
why isn’t the all-star coach the previous years finals coaches? That’s how its down in other leagues
I think that’s a good idea.
makes it an honor not something forced into, coaches know more than a week before they’d be doing it.. and its the best of the best coaches.. not just whoever was hot for the last month
That’s how it is NOW but you can’t coach AS game in back to back years.
No, right now it’s the coaches for the #1 teams in the Eastern and Western Conference Standings. Previous years finals coaches would be Spoelstra (East) and Malone (West).
Perhaps it would be less likely that the Coach that got his team to the Finals would be fired before the ASG than the coach that led his team to the best record of any team who didn’t have the same honor the year prior.
Poor Doc, can’t catch a break …… the All-Star break, that is.
I doubt griffin wants the bonus or all star ring. Especially from a guy brought in as an advisor to griffin in defender then 6 weeks later takes his job
Yeah I’m sure Griffin hates money lol
Should just be Coach with best Coaching Record on the Season or previous season’s finales going forward to avoid this non sense.
Ridiculous. Players can be MVP two years in a row, so …
I don’t think there’s a need to change the rule to keep this from happening again. How often has it happened previously? The chances of it happening again in the near future are awfully small. Why does everyone want to over react and over correct for every obscure event? Chill out people and stay away from your panic buttons.
Lol the guy that got them this recors is long gone…how ironic
Wonder if this ever happened before
We’re talking about an exhibition game with few set plays and no one plays defense.
This is a nothing burger.
people who use the term “nothingburger” tend to not leave their basements until mommy calls for supper
Same with guys using marshmallow in their user name. But they tend to be in their 40a
Or they are those idiots on NFL network. ‘ They’re gonna put up a fifty burger!!!!!’
Absolute clowns.
glen rivers should be coach of the loser convetion. he could start the giannis twins!
The NBA gets more ridiculous every day. But that’s the price you pay for not having a commissioner.
Obviously, it wasn’t earned. But Rivers is the perfect HC for an All-Star game.