Doc Rivers was recently named among one of the 15 greatest coaches in NBA history. The list included some of the best coaches to ever do it, like Red Auerbach, Chuck Daley, and Phil Jackson. But some fans were not happy about Rivers’ inclusion on the list.
Many fans pointed to the fact that Rivers has only won one NBA championship during his career, and he has blown more 3-1 leads in the NBA playoffs than any other coach in NBA history. A lot of fans think Rivers’ blowing these massive leads should be held against him and his legacy.
A recent video has resurfaced from the NBA Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. In the video, presumably during a late-game situation, then-Lakers head coach Phil Jackson was heard mocking Doc Rivers’ record, noting that his Celtics were the team that had lost more games in the 4th quarter than any other in the NBA history.
Doc Rivers a top-15 coach in NBA history?! ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ pic.twitter.com/ZL5TEqfBr2
— LakeShowHoopsᴾᴴ (@LakeShowHoopsPH) February 9, 2022
“This team has lost more games in the 4th quarter than anybody else in the NBA. They know how to lose in the 4th quarter, alright?”
In all fairness, Rivers did win the first Finals matchup between his Celtics and Jackson’s Lakers in 2008, as he helped Boston win their first NBA championship in over 2 decades. But in 2010, he and the Celtics lost to Jackson and the Los Angeles Lakers, with Phil Jackson winning his 11th NBA championship as a head coach.
Doc Rivers does have a pretty bad track record when it comes to blowing leads. In fact, his teams have blown 3-1 leads in the conference semifinals for the last 2 playoffs. The Clippers lost to the Denver Nuggets, whereas the Philadelphia 76ers collapsed against the Atlanta Hawks, a loss that still has ramifications as it was the beginning of the Ben Simmons saga that is still going.
