The Milwaukee Bucks are in talks with Doc Rivers over his possible appointment as the team’s new head coach. This comes after the Bucks dismissed former head coach Adrian Griffin after just 43 games. According to sources, the team decided to fire Griffin due to the belief that their chances of winning a championship would be better with more experience.

Despite a 30-13 record during Griffith’s tenure, the Bucks slumped from fourth to 22nd in defensive efficiency. General manager Jon Horst maintained his belief that Griffith will develop into a top NBA head coach and that he simply felt that the young coach wouldn’t be able to deliver on the Bucks’ near-term championship ambition.

Currently an analyst for ESPN, Rivers has coached the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, and the Philadelphia 76ers. He led the Celtics to the NBA Championship title in 2008 and took the 76ers to three consecutive Eastern Conference semifinals.

The post Bucks In Talks With Doc Rivers Over Coaching Role appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Just two weeks after stepping down as the Houston Rockets general manager, Daryl Morey has already found a new job.

According to reports, he has reached a deal to become the Philadelphia 76ers’ president of basketball operations.

No one expected Morey to step down from his position as the Rockets general manager and not many expected him to take a new job so soon either since he announced that he was leaving Houston to explore other interests in life.

However, it now seems clear that Morey’s relationship with Houston’s ownership was the problem and that he needed a change of scenery.

Morey was replaced in Houston by Rafael Stone, who was recently promoted from vice president to general manager. Stone just made his first big move of his tenure as the Houston GM, tapping Dallas Mavericks assistant Stephen Silas to be the team’s new head coach.

Morey spent 13 seasons as the Rockets general manager. In Philadelphia, the general manager remains Elton Brand, who just signed Doc Rivers to be the team’s new head coach. Morey has previously worked with Rivers in Boston.

Philadelphia was interested in getting Morey on board two years ago as well, but he decided to sign an extension with the Rockets at that time.

The post Former Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey Takes Job with Philadelphia 76ers appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It did not take veteran NBA head coach Doc Rivers long to find a new team after being dismissed by the Los Angeles Clippers just a week ago.

Rivers agreed to a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers to become the team’s new head coach over the weekend, bringing his championship-level experience to one of the most talented teams in the NBA.

The 58-year-old former player now joins his fourth NBA franchise in the past 22 years as a head coach after stints with the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, and the Clippers.

Rivers, who spent seven seasons in charge with the Clippers and reached the playoffs in six seasons with them, was fired after his star-studded squad was eliminated in just the Conference Semifinals by the Denver Nuggets.

He was unable to replicate the success he had in Boston, where he led the team to two NBA Finals appearances and one championship.

Rivers will now return to the Atlantic Division where he will find a roster stacked with talent, such as big man Joel Embiid and young guard Ben Simmons. The Sixers will look to take the next step and advance deeper into the playoffs under their new coach after failing to advance past the Conference Semifinals in each of the past three seasons.

The Chicago native will have a five-year deal with which to try to turn the 76ers into a legitimate title contender.

The post Doc Rivers Signs 5-Year Deal to Become 76ers Head Coach appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After leading the Los Angeles Clippers for seven seasons, head coach Doc Rivers has been fired.

The Clippers had yet another disappointing playoff performance, losing to the Denver Nuggets in the second round in humiliating fashion after being up 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.

Rivers came to the Clippers in 2013 via a trade in which the Boston Celtics sent him to Los Angeles in exchange for a first-round pick. Rivers turned a struggling franchise into a perennial playoff team, taking the Clippers to the postseason in six of his seven seasons with the team.

However, the team could never make it to the Western Conference Finals, despite having talented rosters year after year. The Clippers were favorites to represent the Western Conference in the finals this year after picking up reigning NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and pairing him with All-Star Paul George.

Instead, the team proved to be dysfunctional, blowing a 3-1 lead to the Nuggets and effectively ending Rivers’ tenure with the team.

The collapse obviously can’t be blamed on Rivers entirely, and most NBA teams are very aware of that. Rivers should have no problem finding another head coaching job quickly.

According to reports, the 76ers and Pelicans have already reached out and shown interest in hiring him.

The post Los Angeles Clippers Fire Coach Doc Rivers appeared first on SportzBonanza.

LA Clippers’ head coach Doc Rivers thinks that the NBA’s decision to suspend the season due to coronavirus pandemic might be a blessing in disguise for some of his players. According to Rivers, this break will allow Clippers’ star forward Kawhi Leonard to return in “phenomenal shape” when the season resumes.

Leonard missed a significant number of Clippers’ games in 2019/20 due to various health issues and tiredness. But Rivers thinks that those problems are now behind the 28-year-old All-Star thanks to the break he got.

“I know Kawhi’s overworking. I can guarantee you that,” said Rivers talking with reporters on a video call. “And the difference is, during the summer, Kawhi couldn’t work, you know, so now he’s got this break, and he’s able to train. The Kawhi we’ll see will be in phenomenal shape.”

Despite the issues he had this season, Leonard managed to maintain high production and lead the Clippers to the second seed in the West. He averaged 26.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.8 steals per game before the season got suspended.

Leonard will not be the only Clippers’ star that will return in great condition, according to Rivers.

“PG [Paul George] is another guy that’s gonna be in phenomenal shape,” he added.

Paul George missed a number of games this season as well, after undergoing a shoulder injury in the offseason. In 42 games he was on the court, George averaged 21.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.3 steals.

The post Doc Rivers Says Clippers’ Star Kawhi Leonard Will Return in “Phenomenal Shape” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Oklahoma City Thunder parted ways with their All-Star duo Paul George and Russell Westbrook this offseason swiftly transforming themselves from a playoff contender to a lottery team. And while many believed that this process was kicked off by George’s trade request, it looks like the truth might be somewhat different.

George made a trade request shortly after the start of free agency and ended up being dealt to Los Angeles Clippers, where he teamed up with Kawhi Leonard. After that, Russell Westbrook also left OKC, heading to Houston Rockets. This officially marked the start of a rebuilding period for the Thunder, who saw first-round playoff exits in the previous three years.

Now, Clippers’ head coach Doc Rivers claims that OKC wanted to “break their team up” all along after this lack of success which made it easier for his team to acquire Paul George.

“We showed [Leonard] everybody else, and he didn’t want to hear it.” – Rivers told Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times while guiding him through their free agency meeting with Leonard. “He just stayed on Paul George, so after the meeting we sat down and I said, ‘We got to get Paul George. I don’t know how we are going to do it, but we have to do it.’ We did know that Oklahoma City wanted to break their team up, so that helped, but we didn’t know if we could get him.”

Oklahoma City Thunder managed to pick up a bunch of draft picks from the Clippers in a George trade, while also getting forward Danilo Gallinari and talented point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Still, they are not expected to be any good anytime soon and will most likely spend the next several years at the bottom of the Western Conference.

The post OKC Wanted to “Break Their Team Up” Even Before Paul George Trade Claims Doc Rivers appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Kawhi Leonard is playing phenomenal basketball in this year’s playoffs and is the most responsible for propelling Toronto Raptors to their first ever NBA Finals. This earned him praise from all around the league, with Los Angeles Clippers’ head coach Doc Rivers being the latest to express his admiration for Leonard’s game.

During a recent appearance on ESPN, Rivers even went as far as comparing him to Chicago Bulls’ legend Michael Jordan.

“He is the most like [Michael] Jordan that we’ve seen,” – said Rivers. “Big hands, post game, can finish, great leaper, great defender, in-between game, if you beat him to the spot he bumps you off. And then you add his three-point shooting.”

Rivers has his motivation for praising Leonard and putting him in such esteemed company. Clippers are reportedly all-in on pursuing Leonard in the free agency and are one of the favorites to land his services considering the 27-year-old’s wishes to play in Los Angeles.

Leonard currently averages 31.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game in the playoffs.

The post Doc Rivers on Kawhi Leonard: “Most Like Michael Jordan That We’ve Seen” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

In what many assume will be NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki’s final season, the tributes have come rolling in.

However, what the Los Angeles Clippers and their coach Doc Rivers did for the 2011 NBA Finals MVP was unprecedented and something that NBA fans had never seen before.

With his team leading the Mavericks 121-112 in the final seconds of Monday night’s game at Staples Center, Rivers called a timeout.

After the initial confusion as to why Rivers would call a timeout at such a strange moment in the game, the coach walked to the scorer’s table, grabbed the PA microphone, and began to speak.

He chanted “Dirk, Dirk!” and encouraged the Clippers fans in the Staples Center to join him in honoring the retiring legend.

The crowd at Staples Center immediately took to Rivers’ request and began to give Nowitzki a rousing standing ovation to pay tribute to the German power forward’s outstanding career.

The humble 7-footer sheepishly grinned and gave Rivers a thumbs-up, and appeared to get emotional as the crowd applauded. Several Clippers players game over to shake Nowitzki’s hand and to hug him.

The moment between certain Hall of Famers Rivers and Nowitzki was a reminder of why we love sports. It was a historic moment that will go down in NBA history.

The post Clippers Coach Doc Rivers Honors Dirk Nowitzki with Incredible Gesture appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Clippers’ coach Doc Rivers still has some unfinished business in Los Angeles and has signed a contract extension with the team on Wednesday. Rivers was entering the final year of his contract, according to which he was earning more than $11 million per year. The terms of the deal remained undisclosed.

The L.A. Clippers today announced that the team has agreed to a contract extension with head coach @DocRivers.

Read More: https://t.co/HJaLDW9FoQ pic.twitter.com/efv2fKzEAS

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) May 23, 2018

“Doc is one of the top coaches in the NBA, coming off one of his finest seasons since joining the Clippers,” – said Clippers’ chairman Steve Ballmer in a statement. “We trust Doc to lead a competitive, tough, hard-working team while upholding a culture of accountability expected to resonate throughout the organization.“

Doc Rivers joined the Los Angeles Clippers in 2013 and lead the team to four straight playoff appearances. This year, however, Clippers entered the season without their star point guard Chris Paul, who left for Houston Rockets. The team then traded Blake Griffin to Detroit Pistons and it looked like the Clippers will enter the full rebuilding mode. Despite these moves, Rivers did a great job and was fighting for the playoffs until the very end, finishing the season with 42-40 record.

“I am proud of the success we have had here over the last five seasons, but there is more work to be done,” – said Rivers in a statement. “We are coming off a year where our team battled through many challenges and much adversity, proving deep talent and even greater potential. I am looking forward to getting back to work on the court to develop our players and compete with the NBA’s elite.“

Doc Rivers started his NBA coaching career with Orlando Magic in 1999, and then went on to coach Boston Celtics with whom he won 2008 NBA Championship. His current career record is 846-624.

The post Los Angeles Clippers Sign Doc Rivers to a Contract Extension appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Milwaukee Bucks are in talks with Doc Rivers over his possible appointment as the team’s new head coach. This comes after the Bucks dismissed former head coach Adrian Griffin after just 43 games. According to sources, the team decided to fire Griffin due to the belief that their chances of winning a championship would be better with more experience.

Despite a 30-13 record during Griffith’s tenure, the Bucks slumped from fourth to 22nd in defensive efficiency. General manager Jon Horst maintained his belief that Griffith will develop into a top NBA head coach and that he simply felt that the young coach wouldn’t be able to deliver on the Bucks’ near-term championship ambition.

Currently an analyst for ESPN, Rivers has coached the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers, and the Philadelphia 76ers. He led the Celtics to the NBA Championship title in 2008 and took the 76ers to three consecutive Eastern Conference semifinals.

The post Bucks In Talks With Doc Rivers Over Coaching Role appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Just two weeks after stepping down as the Houston Rockets general manager, Daryl Morey has already found a new job.

According to reports, he has reached a deal to become the Philadelphia 76ers’ president of basketball operations.

No one expected Morey to step down from his position as the Rockets general manager and not many expected him to take a new job so soon either since he announced that he was leaving Houston to explore other interests in life.

However, it now seems clear that Morey’s relationship with Houston’s ownership was the problem and that he needed a change of scenery.

Morey was replaced in Houston by Rafael Stone, who was recently promoted from vice president to general manager. Stone just made his first big move of his tenure as the Houston GM, tapping Dallas Mavericks assistant Stephen Silas to be the team’s new head coach.

Morey spent 13 seasons as the Rockets general manager. In Philadelphia, the general manager remains Elton Brand, who just signed Doc Rivers to be the team’s new head coach. Morey has previously worked with Rivers in Boston.

Philadelphia was interested in getting Morey on board two years ago as well, but he decided to sign an extension with the Rockets at that time.

The post Former Houston Rockets GM Daryl Morey Takes Job with Philadelphia 76ers appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It did not take veteran NBA head coach Doc Rivers long to find a new team after being dismissed by the Los Angeles Clippers just a week ago.

Rivers agreed to a deal with the Philadelphia 76ers to become the team’s new head coach over the weekend, bringing his championship-level experience to one of the most talented teams in the NBA.

The 58-year-old former player now joins his fourth NBA franchise in the past 22 years as a head coach after stints with the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, and the Clippers.

Rivers, who spent seven seasons in charge with the Clippers and reached the playoffs in six seasons with them, was fired after his star-studded squad was eliminated in just the Conference Semifinals by the Denver Nuggets.

He was unable to replicate the success he had in Boston, where he led the team to two NBA Finals appearances and one championship.

Rivers will now return to the Atlantic Division where he will find a roster stacked with talent, such as big man Joel Embiid and young guard Ben Simmons. The Sixers will look to take the next step and advance deeper into the playoffs under their new coach after failing to advance past the Conference Semifinals in each of the past three seasons.

The Chicago native will have a five-year deal with which to try to turn the 76ers into a legitimate title contender.

The post Doc Rivers Signs 5-Year Deal to Become 76ers Head Coach appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After leading the Los Angeles Clippers for seven seasons, head coach Doc Rivers has been fired.

The Clippers had yet another disappointing playoff performance, losing to the Denver Nuggets in the second round in humiliating fashion after being up 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.

Rivers came to the Clippers in 2013 via a trade in which the Boston Celtics sent him to Los Angeles in exchange for a first-round pick. Rivers turned a struggling franchise into a perennial playoff team, taking the Clippers to the postseason in six of his seven seasons with the team.

However, the team could never make it to the Western Conference Finals, despite having talented rosters year after year. The Clippers were favorites to represent the Western Conference in the finals this year after picking up reigning NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and pairing him with All-Star Paul George.

Instead, the team proved to be dysfunctional, blowing a 3-1 lead to the Nuggets and effectively ending Rivers’ tenure with the team.

The collapse obviously can’t be blamed on Rivers entirely, and most NBA teams are very aware of that. Rivers should have no problem finding another head coaching job quickly.

According to reports, the 76ers and Pelicans have already reached out and shown interest in hiring him.

The post Los Angeles Clippers Fire Coach Doc Rivers appeared first on SportzBonanza.

LA Clippers’ head coach Doc Rivers thinks that the NBA’s decision to suspend the season due to coronavirus pandemic might be a blessing in disguise for some of his players. According to Rivers, this break will allow Clippers’ star forward Kawhi Leonard to return in “phenomenal shape” when the season resumes.

Leonard missed a significant number of Clippers’ games in 2019/20 due to various health issues and tiredness. But Rivers thinks that those problems are now behind the 28-year-old All-Star thanks to the break he got.

“I know Kawhi’s overworking. I can guarantee you that,” said Rivers talking with reporters on a video call. “And the difference is, during the summer, Kawhi couldn’t work, you know, so now he’s got this break, and he’s able to train. The Kawhi we’ll see will be in phenomenal shape.”

Despite the issues he had this season, Leonard managed to maintain high production and lead the Clippers to the second seed in the West. He averaged 26.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.8 steals per game before the season got suspended.

Leonard will not be the only Clippers’ star that will return in great condition, according to Rivers.

“PG [Paul George] is another guy that’s gonna be in phenomenal shape,” he added.

Paul George missed a number of games this season as well, after undergoing a shoulder injury in the offseason. In 42 games he was on the court, George averaged 21.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.3 steals.

The post Doc Rivers Says Clippers’ Star Kawhi Leonard Will Return in “Phenomenal Shape” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Oklahoma City Thunder parted ways with their All-Star duo Paul George and Russell Westbrook this offseason swiftly transforming themselves from a playoff contender to a lottery team. And while many believed that this process was kicked off by George’s trade request, it looks like the truth might be somewhat different.

George made a trade request shortly after the start of free agency and ended up being dealt to Los Angeles Clippers, where he teamed up with Kawhi Leonard. After that, Russell Westbrook also left OKC, heading to Houston Rockets. This officially marked the start of a rebuilding period for the Thunder, who saw first-round playoff exits in the previous three years.

Now, Clippers’ head coach Doc Rivers claims that OKC wanted to “break their team up” all along after this lack of success which made it easier for his team to acquire Paul George.

“We showed [Leonard] everybody else, and he didn’t want to hear it.” – Rivers told Arash Markazi of the Los Angeles Times while guiding him through their free agency meeting with Leonard. “He just stayed on Paul George, so after the meeting we sat down and I said, ‘We got to get Paul George. I don’t know how we are going to do it, but we have to do it.’ We did know that Oklahoma City wanted to break their team up, so that helped, but we didn’t know if we could get him.”

Oklahoma City Thunder managed to pick up a bunch of draft picks from the Clippers in a George trade, while also getting forward Danilo Gallinari and talented point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Still, they are not expected to be any good anytime soon and will most likely spend the next several years at the bottom of the Western Conference.

The post OKC Wanted to “Break Their Team Up” Even Before Paul George Trade Claims Doc Rivers appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Kawhi Leonard is playing phenomenal basketball in this year’s playoffs and is the most responsible for propelling Toronto Raptors to their first ever NBA Finals. This earned him praise from all around the league, with Los Angeles Clippers’ head coach Doc Rivers being the latest to express his admiration for Leonard’s game.

During a recent appearance on ESPN, Rivers even went as far as comparing him to Chicago Bulls’ legend Michael Jordan.

“He is the most like [Michael] Jordan that we’ve seen,” – said Rivers. “Big hands, post game, can finish, great leaper, great defender, in-between game, if you beat him to the spot he bumps you off. And then you add his three-point shooting.”

Rivers has his motivation for praising Leonard and putting him in such esteemed company. Clippers are reportedly all-in on pursuing Leonard in the free agency and are one of the favorites to land his services considering the 27-year-old’s wishes to play in Los Angeles.

Leonard currently averages 31.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game in the playoffs.

The post Doc Rivers on Kawhi Leonard: “Most Like Michael Jordan That We’ve Seen” appeared first on SportzBonanza.

In what many assume will be NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki’s final season, the tributes have come rolling in.

However, what the Los Angeles Clippers and their coach Doc Rivers did for the 2011 NBA Finals MVP was unprecedented and something that NBA fans had never seen before.

With his team leading the Mavericks 121-112 in the final seconds of Monday night’s game at Staples Center, Rivers called a timeout.

After the initial confusion as to why Rivers would call a timeout at such a strange moment in the game, the coach walked to the scorer’s table, grabbed the PA microphone, and began to speak.

He chanted “Dirk, Dirk!” and encouraged the Clippers fans in the Staples Center to join him in honoring the retiring legend.

The crowd at Staples Center immediately took to Rivers’ request and began to give Nowitzki a rousing standing ovation to pay tribute to the German power forward’s outstanding career.

The humble 7-footer sheepishly grinned and gave Rivers a thumbs-up, and appeared to get emotional as the crowd applauded. Several Clippers players game over to shake Nowitzki’s hand and to hug him.

The moment between certain Hall of Famers Rivers and Nowitzki was a reminder of why we love sports. It was a historic moment that will go down in NBA history.

The post Clippers Coach Doc Rivers Honors Dirk Nowitzki with Incredible Gesture appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Clippers’ coach Doc Rivers still has some unfinished business in Los Angeles and has signed a contract extension with the team on Wednesday. Rivers was entering the final year of his contract, according to which he was earning more than $11 million per year. The terms of the deal remained undisclosed.

The L.A. Clippers today announced that the team has agreed to a contract extension with head coach @DocRivers.

Read More: https://t.co/HJaLDW9FoQ pic.twitter.com/efv2fKzEAS

— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) May 23, 2018

“Doc is one of the top coaches in the NBA, coming off one of his finest seasons since joining the Clippers,” – said Clippers’ chairman Steve Ballmer in a statement. “We trust Doc to lead a competitive, tough, hard-working team while upholding a culture of accountability expected to resonate throughout the organization.“

Doc Rivers joined the Los Angeles Clippers in 2013 and lead the team to four straight playoff appearances. This year, however, Clippers entered the season without their star point guard Chris Paul, who left for Houston Rockets. The team then traded Blake Griffin to Detroit Pistons and it looked like the Clippers will enter the full rebuilding mode. Despite these moves, Rivers did a great job and was fighting for the playoffs until the very end, finishing the season with 42-40 record.

“I am proud of the success we have had here over the last five seasons, but there is more work to be done,” – said Rivers in a statement. “We are coming off a year where our team battled through many challenges and much adversity, proving deep talent and even greater potential. I am looking forward to getting back to work on the court to develop our players and compete with the NBA’s elite.“

Doc Rivers started his NBA coaching career with Orlando Magic in 1999, and then went on to coach Boston Celtics with whom he won 2008 NBA Championship. His current career record is 846-624.

The post Los Angeles Clippers Sign Doc Rivers to a Contract Extension appeared first on SportzBonanza.