Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers and retiring NBA legend Kobe Bryant played in opposite conferences for much of their careers, so there aren’t many memorable match-ups between them to report. That fact makes Rivers’ recent comments about Kobe’s impending retirement that much more eye-opening, and really speaks to the effect Bryant’s innate competitive nature has on both opposing players and coaching staffs.
During Doc Rivers’ time as the head coach of the Boston Celtics, he reached the NBA Finals twice, winning once in 2008, and losing the following year in 2010. Both of those match-ups came against the Lakers and Kobe Bryant, and in reflecting about Kobe’s final days as a pro to the Long Beach Press-Telegram, Rivers dished out a bit of honesty regarding his feelings about the departing superstar.
So, are you going to miss Kobe, Doc?
Not at all, not at all. I’ll be very happy when Kobe retires. He’s inflicted pain on me personally and so I’m looking forward to it. Everybody else is lying. They’re saying, like, they want Kobe to keep playing and that’s not true. The guy, he’s inflicted pain on all of us.
He went on to say:
Something happened in 2010, I don’t remember what happened there. I just remember how hard he was every night. I mean, he was just tough, physically. I thought both of those series, the mental part of Kobe is what stood out. We knew the talent. But I don’t think you really know a player until you coach him or coach against him in the playoffs, and it told me a lot.
Honesty is the best policy, right? The kicker is, Kobe might find Rivers’ comments to be more of a sign of respect than the usual, run-of-the-mill ‘it’s always sad to say a great guy like him go’ responses reporters have been eliciting from other players, former players and coaches around the league. To have only faced off in the post-season twice against a guy, and for him to have that reaction to the end of your career really says something about the kind of player you are.
