Doc Rivers is the ultimate veteran coach, having just begun his 26th year in the NBA as a head coach. He is about to achieve a truly historic milestone. Impressively, Rivers has amassed 1,154 wins during his storied career. He is currently one win away from tying Phil Jackson for seventh all-time in coaching wins in the NBA. He’s coached and led talented teams with the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Clippers along his coaching path. Today, he becomes the new leader of the Milwaukee Bucks. While he’s close to realizing this historic achievement, Rivers is still hard at work pushing for diversity and inclusion in the league, and beyond.
Rivers’ first turn as an NBA head coach came with the Orlando Magic during the 1999-2000 season. The pick that was supposed to shatter the Sixers’ record that year. While that rookie year had its highs and lows, his first team laid the groundwork for a successful coaching career. Rivers has never been swept in a playoff series, a testament to his strategic genius and capacity to withstand moments of high-stakes adversity. His positive contributions to the beautiful sport we all love are remarkable and irreplaceable. It’s earned him a powerful argument for his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Most egregiously, he is the only coach in the top ten in all-time wins who has been inducted…yet.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) have been mainstays during Rivers’ career. As a DEI hire himself, he led with intention and purpose, and has been outspoken about increasing NBA diversity. He wears the crown with pride. He’s already conducting dialogue and forums with younger coaches, particularly African American coaches, about the plight they face. Rivers’ advocacy comes from his dedication to wanting to witness more black and brown faces leading organizations and occupying leadership positions within the industry.
While some progress has been made, Rivers has been outspoken about the NBA’s slow rate of hiring African American head coaches. Currently, there are 12 Black head coaches plus one interim among the 30 NBA teams. Whatever the case, Rivers is nonetheless happy to see this number increase. He hopes to inspire the next generation of African Americans to become front office analytics professionals. His tireless advocacy on behalf of this issue is indicative of a larger desire to create a more inclusive space within the world of professional basketball.
Over the course of his career, Rivers has had a strong connection with Phil Jackson, who Rivers has had multiple conversations with. That mutual appreciation serves to highlight the deep-seated respect and admiration between two of the game’s most accomplished coaches. As Rivers nears Jackson's record, their conversations highlight not only their individual achievements but their contributions to the sport.
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