'Google me': Doc Rivers should be embarrassed by what his resume actually says

The Milwaukee Bucks and head coach Doc Rivers have been in the headlines for numerous reasons this season (most of them involving Giannis Antetokounmpo), but recently, there has been a lot of talk about a poor locker room dynamic.

It isn't surprising that failed to meet their aspirations of making the playoffs is having some dysfunction. However, what is really puzzling is what Rivers had to say when the conflict reached its climax.

Last week, after a rough loss to the equally-aimless Chicago Bulls, Rivers implored his players to Google his illustrious resume if they felt any doubt that he was not the right man for the job.

This comment reminded me of Indiana Hoosiers head football coach Curt Cignetti told media to use the popular search engine if they wanted to learn more about his background. The only difference here is that Rivers' resume isn't all that indisputable.

What does Doc Rivers' resume actually look like?

To be fair, coaches across the planet would kill to have the career that Rivers has had. Outside of his (underrated) 13-year playing career, Rivers has been to two NBA Finals, won an NBA Championship, won 1,193 regular season games (sixth all-time), and 114 playoff games (fourth). In 2024, he was also honored as one of the 15 greatest coaches ever.

The thing about these accolades, though, is that they come from just being able to land enough jobs to accumulate these counting stats. When you dig a little deeper into these situations, Rivers' career doesn't scream master innovator.

For instance, Rivers has never been a Big Game James when it comes to coaching. He is 6-10 all-time in Game 7s. That is the most losses by any coach in NBA history.

He also has a penchant for blowing series leads. There have been three seperate instances, in three different decades), where Rivers-led teams have blown a 3-1 lead. In 2003, his Orlando Magic team lost three straight games to the Detroit Pistons. Then, in 2015, his Los Angeles Clippers forfeited a 3-1 lead to the Houston Rockets that would have sent Chris Paul and the organization to their first ever conference finals. Most recently, during The Bubble, his Clippers surrendered their 3-1 advantage to the Denver Nuggets (another chance to make the conference finals), despite holding a lead at various points in Games 5-7.

There have also been four occurrences where his teams have lost a series after being up 3-2. Last year, the Bucks even lost a first round playoff game (to end their season) after being up seven points with 35 seconds left.

There is some context that is missing from these situations. For instance, that Magic team that lost in 2003 was an eighth-seed going up against the first seed Detroit Pistons. The fact that he managed to beat that team even three times is a major feat in and of itself. Injuries have also plagued these teams in some moments.

At the end of the day, Rivers is clearly a good coach, with a penchant for floor-raising — turning below average teams into respectable ones. During his brief stint with ESPN in 2023-24, we got to see his basketball brilliance with his insights as an analyst.

However, Rivers' resume is far from breathtaking, which is why it is weird that he would try to rub it in the face of his players. For better or worse, though, it seems like this coaching stint may be his last.

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