Former NBA Star Calls Out Doc Rivers After Controversial Decision
Despite having been around the NBA for a long time, Doc Rivers is one of the most scrutinized head coaches in recent history. This is because of his teams constantly underachieving, as well as his reputation as a playoff choker. In each of his first two playoff runs as the Milwaukee Bucks' head coach, the team was eliminated in the first round by the Indiana Pacers.
Regardless of his standing in NBA discussions, Rivers is well-respected in the league. Furthermore, he coached the Boston Celtics to their 17th championship victory in 2008, which was their first in 22 years up to that point. However, he had an opportunity to bring another championship to Boston before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals.
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Over a decade later, one of the Celtics' role players from that time called out Rivers for a decision he made that may have cost the team another banner.
Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc RiversBenny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
The 2009-10 Celtics were led by their top players, particularly Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo. However, they also had some solid rotation players, including backup guard Nate Robinson.
Boston acquired Robinson from the New York Knicks ahead of that year's trade deadline, and he was solid when he stepped on the court. However, 15 years later, the former Celtics guard feels like he should have gotten more playing time in the NBA Finals as he felt he could have helped the team defeat the Lakers.
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"I played in the Finals. I didn't really get to play like that because Doc Rivers was on some [expletive]," Robinson said on the Straight Game Podcast. "But I was mad because we lost by four points. I said, 'D, I can score four points in my sleep, bro.' I couldn't believe it. He didn't even play me that game. I was hurt watching that confetti fall and watching Kobe Bryant just enjoy… That could have been us. I was sick."
The Seattle native appeared in all seven games in the NBA Finals for Boston, but he averaged just 10.3 minutes and 4.3 field goal attempts per game. The Celtics lost the series and would not win another championship until 2024. Unfortunately for Robinson, he made the playoffs just two more times after 2010 and never made it back to the NBA Finals.
Related: LeBron James Predicted to Make 2026 Retirement Decision
Related: Celtics Receive Major News on Jayson Tatum's 2026 Status
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