Los Angeles Clippers guard Austin Rivers has been in a rare situation that not many NBA players have ever been through, which is playing for his father. Doc Rivers is the head coach and GM of the Clippers, which has led to many saying Austin gets preferential treatment.
Former Clippers big man Glen Davis is one of those people who have been critical of Doc and Austin in the past. Davis, of course, also played under Doc on the Boston Celtics.
Austin appeared on FS1's "Undisputed" with Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe to discuss all of that, where basically defended his father while sending a few shots at Big Baby.
“That’s a bunch of BS,” Rivers said. Though he was clear to say he doesn’t have a problem with Davis, he was more than willing to call out his own difficulties in the league as an indication that Davis is projecting a bit when it comes to his problems with the elder Rivers.Watch the video below for Austin's full segment on the show:
“Pops has said jokes about his weight and stuff like that. It was hard, let me ask you something. If someone is constantly out of shape. Late. Don’t remember the plays, how the hell are you supposed to play? So I don’t know where that even goes with the team. That has nothing to do with him coming at my father, I really don’t care. That’s between him and my pops.
But as far as him talking about me being uncomfortable: that has never had a play in the team. I’ve earned every stripe that I’ve gotten. I’ve earned (all my) playing time. That’s just him talking out the side of his neck. I don’t even understand where that comes from so I don’t even pay that no mind. Waste of my time talking about that.”
Austin has admitted in the past it’s weird to negotiate with his father about contracts and there’s an inevitable strangeness that comes with being coached by your father, but he said he’s proud of the success he’s found in the league with Doc and doesn’t have a problem defending his place in the league.
“I don’t care if my grandma coaches me. At the end of the day, she can’t help me when I’m on the floor...
Yeah, he’s harder on me. For sure. So if anything, look at the pressure I’ve had to play with. Could you imagine playing for your pops at this level? That’s not easy to do. So people always talk about the easy part. ‘Oh, he’s your dad.’ Well why don’t we talk about the hard part? I don’t see anybody else doing what we’ve done. And that the end of the day, people can say what they want about me and my pops, but we’ve done something that no one else has been able to do.
This is something I’m going to look back (on) 20 from now and say ‘man, that was amazing. I was able to play with my pops.’”
.@AustinRivers25 on Big Baby Davis: How are you supposed to play someone if they are constantly out of shape and don't remember the plays? pic.twitter.com/PLiVUEkldv— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) May 31, 2017
