<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Doc on his 5-year, $35M deal: "When I signed that contract, there were several places I could've gone." Um, but you still signed it, right?</p>— Ben Rohrbach (@brohrbach) <a href="https://twitter.com/brohrbach/statuses/350733047429201920">June 28, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Doc on <a href="https://twitter.com/WEEI">@WEEI</a> about <a href="https://twitter.com/BillSimmons">@BillSimmons</a>: "He did everything he could to get me fired. Wrote letters, wanted to sit down w/ owners to talk about it."</p>— Ben Rohrbach (@brohrbach) <a href="https://twitter.com/brohrbach/statuses/350733674637037569">June 28, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>.<a href="https://twitter.com/SalkWEEI">@SalkWEEI</a> asks Doc directly about his inconsistency. Doc: "I don't know." Denies planting Clippers seed, goes after Simmons again.</p>— Ben Rohrbach (@brohrbach) <a href="https://twitter.com/brohrbach/statuses/350735027392348160">June 28, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>The quote I just retweeted is an outright, 100 percent lie. I'd be careful, Glenn. Seriously. Stop talking. You are making ***** up.</p>— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillSimmons/statuses/350738891302641664">June 28, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
I seem to be in the minority, but I side with Doc here. Why should you be at all friendly to someone who has been flaming you behind a keyboard for years, and probably has actively tried to get you fired? What's wrong with a few jabs at a true hater (go back and read some of Simmons's stuff about Doc from about 2005 or so, this term is overused but in this case warranted) when you've made it and proven him wrong?
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Looks like Round 2 between Simmons & Doc has just commenced. Or is this more like Round 10? <a href="https://twitter.com/BillSimmons">@BillSimmons</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/brohrbach">@brohrbach</a> <a href="http://t.co/7LCPKP5m9u">pic.twitter.com/7LCPKP5m9u</a></p>— CelticsLife.com (@CelticsLife) <a href="https://twitter.com/CelticsLife/statuses/350742687982436353">June 28, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On the contrary, I think Simmons is the douche, consistently and over the years, especially towards Doc Rivers.
Thing is, Doc's not the reason he "made it". Those Celtics teams before the Big 3 were absolutely, god-awful. Truly terrible. Then KG and Ray come along and they win some. One of the Big 3's strengths was defense, and Tom Thibodeau was the mastermind behind that. Once he left, the defense regressed from being elite. I think the only thing Doc's proven is that you need to have good players to win.
"Are the Heat, maybe, just not as good as we thought they were? Magic, your thoughts?" "To win in the Finals, you have to play well on both ends. I'm talking about offense AND defense, folks." "Have you guys ever considered that America's obsession with the Alpha-Male since the Jordan-era has put LeBron in an tough position? I was thinking about that it makes a lot of sense why he's..." "If LeBron James is a superstar, he has to play superstar basketball, Bill." .... "Lets take it to Jeff Van Gundy courtside in Miami!"
I dunno. I just think Rivers has been absolutely pathetic and childish in his statements about Simmons. Dunno how the public has let him get away with saying some of this stuff.
So players wanting to be traded while under contract are **** on for quitting, but it's different for coaches? I'm with Bill.
Do you guys remember the columns that Simmons used to write about Doc Rivers, before they got Garnett and Allen? I mean he would tee off on Doc, treat him like the worst coach in the league. I really thought he had egg on his face for that when they won the title. So even though I don't like Doc, it seems disingenuous of Bill here. Celtics got a first round pick and out of his contract... they can rebuild now. It does seem like a win-win to me, but I may be wrong.
I understand how Simmons can rub people the wrong way, but he is not lying. If doc wants to leave to win, just say it.
Simmons is mainly unhappy with the way Doc went about it. He made himself look like a victim. I do think Doc is kinda overrated. He had basically the 2nd best coach in the NBA right now working as his assistant and 3 highly motivated, highly respected HoFers.
