After a theatric week around the league, Austin Rivers has found himself as the newest villain in the NBA.
Ron Artest. Dennis Rodman. Rasheed Wallace. Bill Lambeer. The list goes on. What do these players all have in common? They were once hailed as the NBA’s villain. Every decade has one or two. A player hated by most fans and players, usually for their scrappy defense and chippy play. Having a player to hate is fun. Let’s face it, we all have one. If a player manages to get under players’ and fans’ skin, they’re doing something right.
In today’s NBA, a league that has cracked down on aggressive play, it’s tough to find a player that seems to be disliked by players. If you ask the fans, many will agree it’s Draymond Green, due to his antics on the court many fans disagree with. However, players don’t really seem to have a problem with him. So who? Which player is this decades NBA villain? Well, from what we’ve learned this week, it appears we have our answer.
Austin Rivers.
A player who has never dealt with off-the-court issues. A player who has never really caused any problems on the court. So how can it be? How can it be that a young player, who keeps to himself and plays the game the right way, has found himself as one of the most hated players in the NBA?
He’s Doc Rivers’ son.
Growing up, he always had the label of being the son of Doc Rivers. He had it in high school, even thought he was one of the top recruits in the nation. He had it at Duke, when he was one of the best freshmen in the country. And he still had it after being a lottery pick in the NBA draft.
Austin Rivers sat down with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne to talk about what it’s like having to prove people wrong.
"“I was the No. 1 player in high school. I was a lottery player at Duke. I was player of the year in the ACC as a freshman. People just forget about these things, like I don’t deserve to be in the league. People are like, ‘He was a bust! He was a bust!’ No, I wasn’t a bust. I just didn’t play as well as a lottery pick should. I don’t need any excuses. It is what it is. Sometimes things take time.”"
So why? Why be hated, simply by being the son of an NBA coach?
This week, Austin Rivers was the center of national attention, after barking on the sideline at Rockets’ forward Trevor Ariza. With just one minute remaining in Monday’s contest, Ariza and Rivers exchanged words near the Clippers bench. Austin, who wasn’t playing due to an injury, appeared to be jawing at Ariza over something. This altercation led to the ejection of the Rockets forward. And things didn’t end on the court.
Following the game, Ariza and Gerald Green attempted to confront Rivers by entering the Clippers locker room. They were unable to, and each received two-game suspensions for their actions. This set the twitter world on fire, as NBA fans were following this story closely. According to reports, the two have since hashed things out after a 30-minute phone call.
Days after the incident, former Clipper Matt Barnes came out and talked about why there’s hate surrounding Rivers.
"“He talks a lot of trash and doesn’t really back it up. I think people are probably tired of that.He’s just very arrogant. You know, I know him personally, and at the beginning it kind of took a little bit to get used to. And as a teammate, you just kind of accept him for who he is and have his back as a teammate.Hearing guys talk around the league and seeing guys that had a problem with him while I was playing with him, I could see why. He carries himself like he’s a 10-time All-Star, and he’s not that. That kind of arrogance rubs people the wrong way.”"
Confidence = Arrogance
Well, at least according to Matt Barnes.
What’s wrong with a player having confidence in himself? If you’re a great player, you are going to hold yourself to high standards, and it appears that it exactly what Rivers does. Austin knows he’s cocky, he even admits it. But for the 25 year-old, it’s what helps hold him down.
"“If I didn’t have this confidence or swagger in myself, I wouldn’t be built to handle the negativity that I’ve gotten. I would’ve already broken down years ago because I’ve gotten this since high school. I’ve turned it into a fuel and it’s helped me. I go into each away arena and it’s rough, because of the —- I hear. This chip on my shoulder, this swagger and confidence, it helps me. If I didn’t have it, I would not be in the NBA.”"
It doesn’t end there.
Matt Barnes isn’t the first former teammate to come out and trash Austin. This past summer, Glen “Big Baby” Davis posted an Instagram video, expressing his opinions on Rivers.
"Your father gave you your money. You ain’t work for it. I was there. I seen you at practice. You didn’t give a —-, thinking you all that wearing them tight — pants and you know, your father gave you all that money, so you can go wear those tight — pants, but keep your mouth closed, man. Shut up, man. You’re a bum who’s been given the world. Shut up and just stay under your father."
While he didn’t publicly come out and say anything, many believe Austin Rivers is what ultimately led to Chris Paul’s departure last offseason. Michael Eaves, who currently works for ESPN and used to be apart of Clipper broadcasts, released this statement on Facebook.
"Several members of the team felt Austin acted entitled because his dad was both the coach and the President of Basketball Operations. In the view of the tenured players, Austin Rivers never tried to fit in, and when players tried to address the situation with him, he still did not respond the way the core of the team wanted him to. It led to resentment within the locker room, which often played out during games. One of Paul’s biggest contentions with Doc was that Paul, and other players, felt Doc treated Austin more favorably than other players. He would yell at guys for certain things during games and practices, but not get on Austin in the same manner for similar transgressions."
Rivers didn’t hold back, as he responded with this tweet.
https://twitter.com/AustinRivers25/status/880162937339387904
Even if he is favored more than others, is this level of hate warranted?
Absolutely not. Ever since coming into the NBA, Rivers has improved drastically over the years, and shown he’s more than worthy of having a spot on an NBA roster.
"“Look at my numbers from when I started here until now. Every year I’ve gotten better and I’ve done it with people throwing s— in my face. I never responded. I’ve never come out publicly and said I’m this or that. But at some point I’m a human being.”"
He’s right. Every year he’s gotten better, and done it quietly while going unnoticed. It appeared through four seasons, Rivers would be heading towards being labeled as a “bust”. The highest amount of points he averaged in a season was nine, and it looked as if he wouldn’t live up to his lottery hype. However, one thing you couldn’t say about the former Blue Devil, was that he lacked toughness and grit.
Game 6.
Clippers fans are still trying desperately to forget about the first-round matchup with the Portland Trail Blazers from two seasons ago. After going up 2-0 in the series, the Clippers lost four straight and were eliminated from the playoffs. In the series, LA lost both Griffin and Paul to injuries. Lacking depth, it appeared as if the Clippers would lose Rivers too, after he took a nasty hit to the face. Austin would head to the locker room, and it looked as if he would be done for the night.
That is, until he checked back into the game just a quarter later. After receiving stitches in his face, Austin returned to the court, and gave us a performance we’ll never forget.
Playing essentially with only one eye, Rivers would finish the game with 21 points and eight assists. His play kept the Clippers in the game. With hope essentially being lost in the series, he simply could have called it a game and just sat out. But he didn’t. His heroics almost secured a game seven at home for LA. Not only did he earn respect from his teammates, but from fans around the league.
Following the game, Rivers had an emotional press-conference. You can see in his expression how much the loss hurt, and how much he truly loves the game and his team.
Cooking against the Rockets
Along with toughness, Rivers brings competitiveness, and a lot of it. Who can forget game five of the 2015 western conference semi-finals? With the series tied 1-1, Rivers dropped 25 off the bench, and helped give the Clippers a 2-1 lead.
To simply put it, when the stage is high and the lights are bright, Austin Rivers shows up. But he’s only in the league because of his father, right?
A Career-Season
Before going down with an injury a few weeks ago, Rivers was having a career season. The guard was averaging 16 points and nearly four assists a game. He was also averaging 2.5 three-pointers a game, while shooting above 40 percent. But yeah, that’s because he gets playing time due to his dad being the coach.
That narrative needs to officially be put to rest.
Rivers knows what kind of a player he is. And he knows he’s turned himself into a pretty damn good one.
"“Judge me all you want as a player. Some people think I’m a great player, some people don’t. That’s fine. Numbers don’t ever lie. I know what I’m doing and I know what this team is doing.”"
Austin Rivers knows he’s not liked around the NBA, but he hasn’t once let that bother him. He takes the heat, and uses it to his advantage. After this week, it appears as if this “villain” title is here to stay, and there’s nothing he can do to shy away from it. As long as he is playing for his father, people are going to be coming for him, and he’s going to have a target on his back. Maybe being a villain will be a good thing for Rivers. He’s faced adversity all his life. So this?
This is nothing.