The LA Clippers announced on Saturday that they had officially extended Doc Rivers’ contract, keeping him as head coach long-term.
The LA Clippers officially signed Doc Rivers long-term shortly after the their elimination from the 2019 NBA Playoffs.
After being extremely doubted by the rest of the NBA, the LA Clippers finished with a strong 48 win season and continued to surprise in the playoffs, where they were predicted to win zero games. The Clippers played more than well and exceeded expectations, picking up two games against the defending champions in Golden State.
Doc Rivers had nothing but compliments for this Clippers team. Rivers has been coaching for twenty years and has seen it all. Of every team he has coached, he claimed that this team was the most passionate, had the most heart and lived past his every expectation.
With LA, Doc has been through it all. Through the ups and downs, he has stuck with this team and created major growth. There was only one year where the Clippers didn’t reach the playoffs with Doc coaching.
In six seasons with the team, Rivers has never had a losing record. The progression they’ve made this year is triumphant. The league has noticed and Doc Rivers doesn’t want to sever that connection.
Rivers and owner Steve Ballmer showed emotion in their post-game speeches after the Warriors knocked LA out of the playoffs. They showed their appreciation to the player’s hearts. Defiance and resilience in this team created an aroma the Clippers were never engrossed in before, this year was a start of something. The shift in the Clippers started with their leadership.
Rivers said a head coach in the playoffs left him a message last night saying it was "'my saddest night of the season.' ... He's like, 'Because I watch you guys play every game and it gave me such basketball enjoyment not only how hard you played but the way you played.'"
— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) April 27, 2019
In March, rumors surfaced that Doc may leave the Clippers for the Lakers. As of right now, the Lakers are still searching for a new coach after their alleviation of Walton. They showed interest in Rivers but he quickly denied these claims, unofficially announcing his extension. The Clippers are his team and he wants to keep it that way. “I’m going nowhere, I can tell you that straight and up front. I’m going to be here until Steve says ‘Get out.’” Their trust goes both ways and that’s what makes this organization move forward with such vigor.
There are going to be major moves made this off-season by the Los Angeles Clippers. With two-max slots in cap space next year, a coaching staff that is dedicated to improvement and a front-office where there is no such thing as giving up, the Clippers are poised to be a top destination for free agents around the league.