Doc Rivers has returned to coaching in the NBA, but there’s one job he’s not interested in.
Typically, the head coach of the team with the top record in each conference is selected to coach the All-Star Game.
With Saturday night’s win, the Milwaukee Bucks improved to 33-16 on the season, the second-best record in the Eastern Conference as of February 4th. This is the criteria by which the league selects coaches.
The Boston Celtics are 37-12 and the No. 1 seed, but head coach Joe Mazzula coached in this game last year and is not eligible to coach this season.
This leaves Rivers, who coached just three games with the Bucs, replacing Adrian Griffin, who had a 30-13 record before being fired, and a 2-1 record as interim head coach. Mr. Griffin’s successor, Joe Planty, will remain.
“It’s just terrible,” Rivers said of earning an All-Star berth after just one win. “Adrian is going to get some money, that’s for sure. And the ring. It’s one of these weird things. I think there has to be some kind of rule that someone other than me does it.”
Rivers’ new players were also surprised.
“Is he going to coach the game?” Giannis Antetokounmpo said after hearing the news after the win.
“That’s pretty funny,” Damian Lillard said. “That obviously wasn’t a locker room conversation.”
However, Antetokounmpo added that he is happy that the team’s assistant coaches will be coaching in the game.
“I’m really happy for them,” he said. “A lot of hard work paid off.”
Rivers spent most of the season as an analyst for ESPN before returning to the sidelines following the firing of Griffin, who was in his first season as head coach replacing Mike Budenholzer.
Despite getting off to a strong start this year, the Bucks opted for a change and brought in Rivers, who spent the past three years as the head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers.
He coached the Celtics to the NBA title in 2007-08, and also coached the Los Angeles Clippers and Orlando Magic.
Rivers joked that he might miss the game and have an assistant replace him.
“Maybe we’ll send some staff out and go on vacation,” Rivers said. ‘I’m gonna run it up to [NBA commissioner] Adam Silver. I think Adam is a good person. I think he will understand. ”
