"Boss move, it was cool": Doc Rivers recounts epic story of Boston Celtics hiring him against his wishes
Doc Rivers experienced immense success during his nine-year tenure as coach of the Boston Celtics, including leading the franchise to the 2008 NBA title. However, according to Rivers, he almost never ended up in Boston.
During a recent appearance on “KG Certified” with his former Celtics players Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, Rivers broke down his 2004 negotiations with Boston.
Rivers had recently been fired by the Orlando Magic after a 1-10 start to the 2003-04 season, his fifth with the franchise. Following his dismissal, the 2000 NBA Coach of the Year opted to take some time off from coaching to pursue a career in broadcasting.
Nonetheless, Rivers was then-Celtics executive Danny Ainge’s top coaching target. He wasn’t interested in accepting Boston’s job offer. So, Ainge took his recruitment to the next level by unexpectedly arriving at Rivers’ Orlando house with members of the Celtics’ ownership group.
“I was gonna turn down the Celtics job,” Rivers said. “I had just left Orlando, I wanted a year [off], and Dannys calls me and says, ‘Hey, can we talk?’ I said, ‘Yeah, when?’ He said, ‘Now.’ I said, ‘What do you mean now?’ He said, ‘Look outside your window.’
“Danny just flew all the owners up to Orlando without asking me. He’s ringing the doorbell. So, he comes in, and we’re sitting there, and I’m like, ‘What the hell?’ It was a boss move, it was cool.”
The move paid off, as Rivers agreed to become Boston’s coach, with his tenure lasting from 2004 to 2013. He finished with a 416-305 record (.577) over nine seasons with the Celtics. Additionally, Boston went 59-47 (.557) over 106 playoff games with Rivers at the helm.
Also Read: Doc Rivers, Bill Simmons contrast LeBron James' immaculate physical regimen with the 80s: "Larry Bird would stop drinking beer before playoffs"
Doc Rivers says he and Danny Ainge instantly connected during his recruitment process
Later in his podcast appearance, Doc Rivers brought up another major factor in his decision to join Boston. Rivers was a big fan of then-wing prospect Tony Allen coming out of Oklahoma State in 2004. He told Boston’s owners that he wanted the Celtics to draft Allen, and it turned out that Danny Ainge had already been targeting him.
According to Rivers, that showed him that he and Ainge were on the same page and solidified his decision to join the Celtics.
“We were talking about college players, and I said, ‘I tell ya, the guy I love, kid at Oklahoma State, Tony Allen,’ and the owners started laughing because Danny had just said that,” Rivers said. “That made me say, ‘Oh man, we’re connected.’”
Allen was ultimately drafted No. 25 by the Celtics in the 2004 NBA draft and went on to spend six seasons with the franchise. He was part of Boston’s 2008 title team and played 14 total NBA seasons, garnering a reputation as one of the league’s top defenders.
Also Read: Doc Rivers might never coach again - "I'm just gonna enjoy life"