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Sure, Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers is best known for being one of the biggest choke artists in NBA playoffs history. But in order to choke away a big series lead, you must first have a big series lead. And that has to be worth something, right? At least, that’s what Rivers is arguing.
The veteran head coach is catching heat from fans and media members alike after arguing that blowing 3-1 series leads is good, because it meant that he won three games in the buildup to doing so.
“It is what it is,” Rivers told Andscape’s Marc J. Spears. “It’s part of my legacy. There’s nothing I can do about it. I got a team that was an eight seed up 3-1. That is coaching. That is not bad coaching. The one with the Clippers is the only one that got away. But people don’t realize that Chris Paul was running on one leg [in 2015 with the Clippers] and we were also the underdog in that series. When you think about it, Houston had home court, not us.”
Stephen A. Smith Calls Out Doc Rivers For Ridiculous Stance On Blown Series Leads
Rivers contends that simply being up 3-1 is a feat in and of itself, and that if he had never gotten to that point then nobody would be smearing his legacy.
“No one tells a real story,” Rivers explained. “And I’m fine with that. It’s unfair in some ways. I don’t get enough credit for getting the three wins. I get credit for losing. I always say, ‘What if we had lost to Houston in six?’ No one cares. One of the things that I’m proud of is we’ve never been swept. All the coaches have been swept in the playoffs. My teams achieve. A lot of them overachieve and I’m very proud of that.”
To some extent, he has a point. All series losses are, in a vacuum, equal. But to that same extent, the only thing that actually matters is winning the series. Winning three games does not have any meaning. But to do so, and to have a stranglehold on a series, only to throw it away on three separate occasions, is a complete and utter failure.
On Tuesday morning, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith explained to Rivers why his logic is extremely flawed.
“Doc Rivers is a champion. But champions don’t speak like that.” 😳 @stephenasmith reacts to Doc Rivers’ comments about losing 3-1 series leads in the NBA playoffs 👀 pic.twitter.com/CwlaV88WoE
— First Take (@FirstTake) March 25, 2025
“In the end, your record is your record,’ Smith began. “…Doc Rivers is a champion. But champions don’t speak like that. Champions don’t say ‘look at how many games seven I got you to.’ Champions don’t say ‘I’m proud that I never got swept. Champions don’t do that, and he’s a champion Why is he doing this?!”