Doc Rivers is one of the most fascinating coaches in modern NBA history, if only because he is so polarizing. Some of his former players don’t like him at all, and others, like Lou Williams, are huge fans of his. Despite winning a championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008, Rivers still has plenty of detractors.
On an episode of The Underground Lounge, Lou Williams opened up about the controversy Doc Rivers has stirred up among players around the league. While some, like Glen Davis, clearly hate Rivers, Williams credits Rivers with having the best season of his career.
“I love Doc. It’s a gray area with Doc. Either guys really like him or they have the worst shit to say about Doc. That wasn’t my experience,” Williams said. “There’s a handful of guys that don’t really get along with Doc. I gotta tell you, that wasn’t my experience, man. When I got here, I thought my career was over, so I wasn’t excited about being a Clipper. Doc made me feel better. It ended up being the best time of my career. It made people appreciate everything I put into it, and I give Doc a lot of credit for that.”
Under Doc Rivers, Lou Williams won two Clippers Sixth Man of the Year awards and also averaged over 20 points per game in those same two seasons. His career was extended by five more seasons thanks to Doc Rivers’ help, and it’s incredibly rare to see a player have his best season at age 31. No matter what Clippers fans think of Rivers, it wouldn’t be happening without him.
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