Mystique May Keep Doc Rivers In Boston

After almost hanging up his coaching tie over the summer, Doc Rivers is contemplating coaching the Celtics long-term. Yahoo! reports: “Rivers doesn’t want to discuss a contract extension, doesn’t want to think much about tomorrow with so much on the line now. And yet, the prospect of staying a career Celtics coach has never resonated so strongly with him. ‘Two years ago, I didn’t have that thought,’ Rivers told Yahoo! Sports. ‘But clearly this summer, I had that thought a lot. It’s because of the organization. Even after [the Big Three] leave, I still have that relationship and it’s going to allow us to be good again. If I’m going to stay in it without taking a break, it would be tough for me to go anywhere else. We’ve talked about [an extension], but I just want to wait. But to be a career Celtics coach is something I think about. I’ve learned: You don’t have what we have here somewhere else.’ So much can happen over a long season, so much can change, but the Celtics mystique has seeped into Rivers. All the history, all the connection to yesteryear’s greatness, has washed over and coated him now. When he took the job, he saw his boss, Ainge, as a Celtic. Now, he sees himself as one, too. ‘I think we do have something special, and I think it would be in everybody’s best interest to try to work something out and keep something long-term for Doc,’ Ainge said.”