Former Milwaukee Bucks point guard Patrick Beverley is not one to take a perceived disrespect on head coach Doc Rivers lightly. During a Monday episode of the Pat Bev Pod podcast, Beverley said that the preseason coaching rankings he has seen put Rivers in a bad light as an NBA mentor.
(h/t Timothy Rapp of Bleacher Report)
“They trying to slander Doc,” he said. “I seen some coaching rankings, they had Doc No. 22, dawg. I almost threw my f–king phone. This man… Phil Jackson is Doc Rivers. They got to put more respect on my coach’s name. They got to. They got to, bro. It’s getting disrespectful. They wouldn’t do Phil Jackson like that. Why are they doing Doc like that? It’s wild.”
Patrick Beverley defends Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers
It’s not a surprise why Beverley defended Rivers in such a passionate manner. For one, he played multiple seasons under Rivers during their time together with the Los Angeles Clippers, and more recently, with the Bucks. Beverley, before signing with Israel club Hapoel Tel Aviv last July, played 26 games (including eight starts) for the Bucks in the 2023-24 NBA season.
In any case, it is still odd to hear Rivers be likened to an all-time great head coach in the form of Phil Jackson. The former Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers mentor won a total of 11 NBA titles as head coach. Rivers’ resume isn’t too shabby either, but it pales in comparison to what Jackson had accomplished in the NBA. Rivers is a former NBA Coach of the Year winner and led the Boston Celtics to an NBA championship in 2008 – interestingly beating Jackson’s Lakers in that year’s NBA Finals.
For More Great Wisconsin Sports Content
Follow me on Twitter at @theotherRobin19 and follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here!