Doc Rivers ‘Very Disappointed’ in Danny Ainge’s Portrayal of His Exit


When Doc Rivers bolted to the LA Clippers, things turned icy between the head coach and those back in Boston. Celtics GM Danny Ainge painted it as Doc’s decision to leave (which Rivers didn’t appreciate), while Rivers made it seem like it was part of the C’s rebuilding plan all along. Per WEEI: “Honestly, I was very disappointed in that part of Danny’s press conference,’ Rivers said during an appearance on Dennis & Callahan to promote September’s Hoop Dreams event at TD Garden to benefit Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD). ‘Other than that, Danny and I have no issues. Danny knows, just like I know, that that’s not true. Listen, guys, this is old stuff. I’m here, and Danny’s in Boston. You can ask Danny that more and more, but there were two people in that room, and it was Danny and I, and anyone else who has a comment about what went on doesn’t really know because they weren’t in that room. It was more than one day. It was several days, and it was an agreement.’ Regardless, Rivers and the Celtics president of basketball operations are still in communication. ‘We’ve had our disagreements when I was there, and we’ve moved on,’ added Rivers. ‘That was a disagreement on how that was presented. Danny knows that, and I know the truth, but you move on and we’ve talked many times since.’ Whether or not Rivers is to blame, one thing is clear: He no longer enjoys the untouchable status he achieved after leading the Celtics to the 2008 title, the 2010 NBA Finals and the 2012 Eastern Conference finals. ‘When guys leave, there are people who understand and people who don’t,’ said Rivers. ‘I’ve been a fan of teams, and people take it personal when they leave, and it is personal to them. And I get that. I have no issues with that. It was a very difficult situation for me, and I’m sure it was a difficult situation for Danny as well.’ In fact, Rivers admitted that dour look on his face during his introductory Clippers presser was there for a reason. ‘I was in Boston for nine years, and it was a wonderful run,’ he said. ‘We did some great things on the court, but the tough part for me was leaving Boston. Obviously, leaving the Celtics was hard, but I didn’t just fall in love with the Celtics. I fell in love with the city of Boston. You have to make changes sometimes in your life, and I was in a position at the time where I thought it was the time to do that. Does that make it easy? No. Moving is hard, and moving is really hard when you already love where you’re living.'”