Although Doc Rivers is currently the head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, not many have forgotten his time as an NBA point guard with strong defensive skills. During his thirteen years (1983-1996) as a player, Doc played for the Los Angeles Clippers (the same team he coaches today). He also played for the Atlanta Hawks, the New York Knicks, and the San Antonio Spurs.
After leaving the game, Doc Rivers took on a coaching job in 1999, first with Orlando Magic, then with the Boston Celtics, and now with his former team Los Angeles Clippers. He has been with the L.A. Clippers since 2013.
Doc Rivers – Bio, Age
Not much is available online about his early days and upbringing, but we do know that Doc was born on October 13, 1961, as Glenn Anton Rivers.
Rivers had attended a basketball summer camp and was wearing a T-shirt that said “Dr. J.”. Marquette’s assistant coach at the time, Rick Majerus, who called him Doc, noticed this immediately, the players in the camp followed him, and the name has been used ever since.
Rivers’ family is full of athletes and NBA players. His uncle Jim Brewer is a former NBA player, as are two of his cousins, Byron Irvin and Ken Singleton. It wouldn’t be wrong to say that sport runs in the family, as Rivers’ children develop into remarkable athletes.
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Career
Doc River has been showing off his basketball skills since his high school days. He was McDonald’s All-American for Proviso East High School and was a member of the national team that represented the USA at the 1982 FIBA World Championship and returned with a silver medal.
Rivers was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the second round (31st overall) of the 1983 NBA draft after spending three seasons at Marquette University, where he graduated. For the next seven seasons, he assisted star Dominique Wilkins as a starter in Atlanta and enjoyed great success. In the 1986/87 seasons, he averaged a double-double with 12.8 points and 10.0 assists per game. After his time in Atlanta, he also spent a year with the L.A. Clippers as a starter, two seasons with the New York Knicks, and then with the San Antonio Spurs before finally retiring from basketball in 1996 to start a coaching career three days later in 1999.
He began his coaching career with Orlando Magic. He coached the team for more than four NBA seasons, leading the team that was predicted to finish last in the playoffs to a place near the playoffs in 2000, winning the Coach of the Year award. Unfortunately, he was fired in 2003 after a 1-10 season start. In 2004 he was hired by the Boston Celtics. His first year on the team was met with fierce criticism, including from Bill Simmons, who demanded his dismissal.
After the Celtics’ 109-93 win over the New York Knicks in 2008, Doc Rivers was given the honor of coaching the 2008 NBA All-Star Game, which took place in New Orleans the same year. That same year, Rivers won his first NBA championship as head coach after his team beat the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. In 2011 he signed a $35 million contract extension with the Celtics, and in February 2013 Rivers celebrated his 400th victory with the Celtics in a 99-95 win over the Toronto Raptors.
In June of the same year, his former team Los Angeles Clippers purchased him from the Celtics for an unprotected draft pick in the first round of the 2015 NBA, and he was also named senior vice president of team basketball operations. In 2014, he was promoted to President of Basketball Operations, a position he relinquished in 2017.
In his first season as head coach of the L.A. Clippers, he led the team to a franchise record of 57 wins, finishing third. In 2014, he renewed his contract with the team so that he will continue as head coach of the Clippers.
Family – Wife, Daughter, and Son
Rivers has been married to Kristen Rivers (née Campion) since 1986, and the two are blessed with four children – Jeremiah, Callie, Austin, and Spencer, all of whom are also remarkable athletes. His eldest son Jeremiah played in the NBA D-League for the Maine Red Claws as well as for the Universities of Indiana and Georgetown.
His daughter Callie played volleyball for the University of Florida and then professionally in Puerto Rico. His second son Austin Rivers was drafted by the New Orleans Hornets with the 10th pick of the 2012 NBA draft, before serving a year as a guard for Duke University. In 2015 Austin joined the Clippers, where his father is the head coach. This made Rivers the first NBA coach to coach his own son, of course.
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Rivers’ youngest son, Spencer, also played as a guard for Winter Park High School and also for UC Irvine.
Doc Rivers’ Height And Quick Facts
Doc Rivers stands at 6 feet 4 inches. Although his weight, shoe/dress size, and body measurement are not readily available online, below are quick facts about the seasoned coach you should know.
Full Name: Glenn Anton Rivers
Birth Date: October 13, 1961
Profession: American basketball player, Coach
Place of Birth: Illinois, USA
Ethnicity: NA
Nationality: American
Height: 6 feet 4 inches (1.93m)
Horoscope: Libra
Education: Marquette University and graduated
Salary: N/A
Net Worth: $16 million
