In the midst of Wednesday's flurry of court action(at Wimbledon and in the courtroom), Doc Rivers was introduced as Clippers head coach. It may seem like old news after this recent news cycle but his hiring was only made official on Tuesday. Remember Tuesday? So much has changed since then, but he spoke for the first time on his hiring.
He lost me when he compared the Celtics tough stretch during his first few years as head coach to Donald Sterling's futile tenure as Clippers owner, but overall his message was simple. Rivers is confident the Clippers have a winner and he wants to convey that to free agent Chris Paul.
Rivers also discussed his love of the Celtics potential to challenge for a title next season if their core stays intact, his pitch to Paul (stay and win) and why he left Boston. It's not what you think Whether he was just putting some spin on the truth or being completely honest, Rivers' answer was that he neededa new challenge. Sometimes things get stagnant and you need a change. That's understandable. He's been in Boston for nine years and Paul Pierce, who's been there for all of them, was on his way out. Maybe, the Clippers are his mid-life crisis. Nobody really knows, except Rivers. But if you see him speeding down the L.A. freeway in a Lambo, there might be some truth to that,
The Clippers haven't been the same since Elgin Baylor got the boot and Sterling started letting the cash flow a little more freely. These Clippers need work, but at least they're not starting from the bottom. You couldn't say that a few years ago. As long as Chris Paul resigns in free agency this championship pursuit will be worth it for Rivers. And winning a title with the Clippers would be grounds for a statue outside Staples. In Boston, his one title is just one card in a deck of 52. If Paul does hit the road, Rivers may be in for more than he bargained for.
