Doc Rivers Press Conference Transcript (4/29/2004)

Danny Ainge: Well this is an exciting time for the Boston Celtics. I think you probably all know this, but this is the guy we wanted to be our head coach, and this is why the search was so fast and short. And the search started back in 1988 when I was teammates with Doc at the All-Star game and we had lockers next to each other. Then a little bit of a friendship developed then and a mutual respect from all the games that we played together. Doc was one of the most incredible competitors that I played against in my career and he was what Red referred to as an instigator. Red always said we need instigators not retaliators, I can assure you, and Doc was an instigator, on the verge of dirty most of the time. But Doc is a champion person, and the reason Doc is the guy that we want is because we are investing in Doc Rivers the person. There is no such thing as the perfect coach; there are strength and weaknesses of each person and their characters. Doc has had some incredible success in his early coaching career and he's had some failures. But because I know who he is and I know his determination and his will, I know he will take those learning experiences as a player, as a coach and as a broadcaster to become great. I have all the confidence in the world in him and it's a great feeling to turn the players and the locker room over to Doc Rivers. Back in 1988 it started. As players you know who are the coaching types and he's always been that, a smart player a tough player, very determined and dedicated player. I just like where he is in his career. Where he is from a motivation standpoint to win and to work and I like his enthusiasm and excitement about being apart of the Boston Celtics.

Doc Rivers: I thank you. Probably the best compliment I ever got in my life was Danny Ainge calling me dirty. But I am looking forward to this opportunity and basketball drives me. The fact that Danny called me and offered to coach the Boston Celtics, if you like basketball I don't know how you say no to that. I told you last year, I saw you in the playoffs. I know this is not going to be a job that you walk into the playoffs and I understand that fully. But you look at some of the franchises in our league and in other sports. I looked at two things. I looked at Danny Ainge, a guy that I have had a great relationship with- and I value that as so important that you couldn't surpass that. And number 2 is the Boston Celtics. And if anyone has love of the game in them, then the Boston Celtics is a job that you have to take, in my opinion. You will find me with no agendas I just want to win. However way we work to do that, we are going to work to do it. We will both make mistakes and there will be times when I want to hug you and times I want to kill you. But in the end, as long as we are shaking hands, things will work out great.

How much have you seen of this Celtics team?

Doc Rivers: I didn't see a whole bunch of the Celtics this year, guys weren't doing a bunch Danny. But I have seen them enough to have knowledge. I have a lot of tape watching to do and a lot of calls to make, I want to talk to every player. I like a lot of things about them and obviously there are some things we need to improve on.

Be more specific.

Doc Rivers: Well I think basically you will see a different team, if you watch us in Orlando minus this year we definitely tried to get up and down the floor and that's very important to me but I don't want to get running mixed up with soft. I think there are people who believe you have to be one or the other and I've never believed that and I don't believe that.

What did you learn in Orlando that you hope to put into place here?

Doc Rivers: The first time around everything is new to you, everything you do is new. You have some preconceived thoughts of that way you want to do things. Some of them are good thoughts and some you get a chance to look at yourself and say, what would you do different. I know style of play I enjoy. I think you have to put pressure on defense every time down. And I told our bigs if you run the floor every time you get a rebound- 6-10 times a game that the other big on the other team is not going to run one of them and you get a dunk and an easy lay-up. And if you just abide by that then you are in good shape. I also think you have to have a sense of them offensively AND defensively. But more importantly I think the ball has to be moved. The ball has to be shared. If you can do that then you are pretty good.

Doc could you talk about (Paul) Pierce and what you expect from him?

Doc Rivers: Just great play, continued great play. I don't know a lot about Paul as a person yet because I don't know. You don't really know a guy until you coach a guy or literally play with him as a player. I like what I see. When we played against him he seemed to be pretty darn good. I hope that continues with me, I think it will. I think I can put him in some spots offensively that makes it easier for him to take some of the load off him. Same scoring, but easier for him is one goal I have for him. If we can do that we will be in good shape.

A lot of people compare Paul with Tracy (McGrady), style and situation. How would you deal with him? He got a little down on himself.

Doc Rivers: When you loose games you get down on yourself. I don't think Paul was down on himself, I think he was down on losing. That's the way from afar I viewed it and honestly I think you should be down when you loose. I have not met a happy loser yet. So I think that will work out, I am really looking forward to coaching Paul Pierce. I can tell you he was one of the draws. When you look and talk to teams they roll out their personel when you can roll out the name Paul Pierce I think it's pretty easy to have interest in that job. I do have experience with having that one go-to guy, I guess that call it, in Tracy [McGrady.] I think it's a little different here; Paul has more help here early on at least. Tracy had to deal with the thought every year that he had another guy in Grant Hill that was going to play with him and every year he didn't. I thought emotionally that probably effected Tracy far more.

Danny, when did Doc become the primary candidate?

Danny Ainge: I contemplated lots of coaching possibilities and Doc was always my favorite coach candidate that was out there that was available. But I would say that when I felt we were in the need for a coach, as soon as Jim O'Brien left I started contemplating what we would do for our future. Doc was a name I thought of right away, immediately, along with other very good candidates as well.

When were you first contacted and when did you finally say yes and what does it mean to see some other players come out today?

Doc Rivers: It's great to see the players. I expect to see them all summer- I hope we can get to know each other pretty well this summer. Danny and I first talked about the opening on Monday. We talked about coaching months ago, Danny and I have had a long relationship and we just talked about-I don't think anyone knew what I wanted to do. I don't think I knew what I wanted to do. I knew I wanted to coach. But I didn't know when and when you have 4 kids those decisions aren't as easy as they seem, someone offers you a job and you just take it. When you have a family I think it makes it far more difficult to just make that decision.

How will it affect your job here having to stay at ABC for the next few months?

Doc Rivers: I told Danny the only down side to this is I wish you have never found out about it and I could have illegally recruited all the players who were going to be free agents. It is out of the bag. I will still be in and out and talk a lot with Danny on the phone. In a lot of ways it will be interesting it will make you pretty hungry to be that close. I have to do the finals and during the finals I have to coach another team. And the two teams I am into coaching will not be in the finals. I think it will give me more fire, I don't know if it is possible but if it is it will. It's been done also, Doug Collins and so did from Mike Fratello if I am not mistaken.

How can you turn down this job? How many others were interested in you?

Doc Rivers: There were some but there was not a whole bunch of interest from me to be honest. It was really important that the guy I was going to work for had a relationship to me that was extremely important to me, but the most important thing. I think if you can form a partnership off the court with your employer then you have a chance of being successful on the court with your players then you share the good times together, you share the bad times also. You don't try to run and hide and point fingers, everyone is in this together. I think that is extremely important.

Can you talk about how you learned how important it is to have a relationship with the guy right above you from your last job?

Doc Rivers: John Gabriel and I have obviously have read some of your articles. But Gabe is a good guy I have a lot of respect for him as a guy we just we didn't hit it off obviously at times with decisions, they weren't shared bottom line. When you can share things together, then when they go well you obviously share them a whole lot better. But when they don't go well I think you share them even better. You don't worry about who did this move and who did that move, you all did that move. It is something that you learn, I absolutely would have done things a little differently it was my first time around also.

The previous two coaches had some philosophical differences about playing younger players. How do you feel about it?

Doc Rivers: If they can play, they should play that is the way I look at it. Again I wouldn't be here if it want for my relationship with Danny. That is the least of my concerns. My biggest concern is getting more wins right now. That is my only concern right now and we are going to figure out a way to do that sooner than later.

Were Tracy's frustrations similar to Paul's?

Doc Rivers: No it was tough. I would say at the end of the day Tracy's frustration probably did me in in a lot of ways not because of Tracy but when you have a guy like Tracy you know when you are look at some of out rosters there we were just trying to piece it together. You lose a guy $91 million dollars every year who cant play on your team. You can't build a team sometimes. Some of the things we had to do just to surround Tracy juts became difficult. I still wanted to win and we still wanted to win. You put so much pressure on him, you had to push him, and you drive him. I used to tell my assistants everyday by the time we are good I have used all my bullets. You have to push guys so much to get 45 wins, 41 wins just to get into the playoffs. I think eventually every day became Groundhog Day that is what I called it. In Orlando we started the season out, Grant Hill was healthy and in 10 games he was injured again. We were trying to put together a team again. Then I had to go into the locker room to try to sell them that we were still going to make the playoffs again and that made it very difficult.

How much input would you like in the draft. Have you talked about that?

Doc Rivers: You know the way I have looked at it, I did this in Orlando also. Obviously Danny and I will talk. Danny kind of knows the type of player I want. My job is to coaching the team the whole season and for me to come in on draft day and then say I like him, after probably only seeing him after one or two workouts or on a tape. I think the number one important thing is you got to have trust with the guy who is making the decisions with input and I have that trust.

In terms of assistance will that be you and Doc making the decisions?

Danny Ainge: That will be Doc making the decisions. Absolutely we have talked about that, we have talked about staffing and Doc will make the decision on every coach being hired.

You said the other day you would like to have a coach you don't have to worry about so you can go and scouting trips. Is Doc that guy?

Danny Ainge: Absolutely. Yes. I have all the trust in Doc to turn the entire locker room and players and issues and dealings over to and I thin that is what gives me a great deal of comfort is that trust. I think Doc touched on it I thin the trust is what is important and that is really hard to find in our business and when I went around and researched and I talked with general managers, people in my position on lots of teams that have been around a lot longer than I, they have shared with me through their experiences of failings and not dealing with coaches that is the number one thing that is the most important thing and it has to go both ways. I believe in Doc and Doc believes in me. That is a great feeling.

Doc it is pretty clear that you're on the same wavelength as Danny but there are bound to be times where you disagree, are you cool with that?

Doc Rivers: Yea, I am. I really am. Again when I look at Jimmy Brown, Jerry West, Kevin McHale and Flip Saunders I am sure they have disagreements but the organizations that have that trust win. They may not win right away it might take some time to get it worked out but in the long run. It works it is proven. When people ask why did you take this job that is the reason because there is trust that I feel like I can turn my back and close my eyes and feel very good about that. That is very, very important.

Doc, can you guys talk about Ricky Davis?

Doc Rivers: Well this is the way I feel about Ricky Davis obviously he is viewed upon as a wild card. I can tell you coaching against him he played hard every single minute I have seen him play and some of his judgment at times has not been that great. But I will tell you this; if I were in a game I would rather have a guy that is capable of on a good night of taking a game over than a guy that is not. I know Ricky Davis is athletic and he is capable at times of doing special things good and bad. But he has the talent to put him in that position. My job is to try to get that in the right spot and the right position and I actually welcome that challenge.

Danny Ainge: I think Doc can have a big impact on Ricky. He is a person who gets easily distracted and I think that Ricky needs to believe in the person that is coaching him and teaching him in that respect. I know that Doc has coached some guys with really bad reputations in this league. I remember Doc's first year of coaching, he had Arman Gilliam and Chris Gattley and every team in the league and every coach in the league said these are the worst guys around these guys are just bad guys, they are selfish. Doc turned those guys and got Coach of the Year and got those guys to play. I think that the coach, when I look at the situation with Marcus Banks and I didn't get positive feedback in a lot of situations with coaches and we brought Dana Barros in at the end of the year and Dana Barros loves Marcus Banks. Thinks the guys does anything he asks he is one of the most coach able guys. I think a lot of it is coaches don't take responsibility for the behavior of the players and I think Doc recognizes that. Doc has been around in the locker rooms and has seen a lot of different behaviors and I believe Doc can have an impact not just on Ricky and Marcus but also on everybody. Because he understands that players are different. They use different things to be motivated and I think that is one of Doc's strengths is a great motivator. Because I think that is one of Doc's biggest strengths is being motivator.

Doc Rivers: I have one motto with my staff is we talk to the players and not about them. As a player I always thought at times when some of the staff when I was a player I saw them in that corner talking and I know they were talking about me and I used to think man, if they had just only come over and told me what I was not doing that was driving them nuts it would really help. I would get on my coaches all the time; I would say I don't want to hear it- go tell the players. I think we are honest with each other, sometimes honesty hurts, but if we are honest I think it will work.