I am still bothered that Doc Rivers was listed a top 15 NBA coach of all time, so I asked Chat GPT to compare Rudy to Doc: There's a strong case to be made that Rudy Tomjanovich was a better coach than Doc Rivers, especially if you prioritize playoff performance, maximizing talent, and championship execution over longevity. Here's a head-to-head comparison to help break it down: Championships Rudy Tomjanovich: 2 NBA Championships (1994, 1995) with the Houston Rockets. Won back-to-back titles without a traditional “superteam” — beating the Knicks and the Magic (with Shaq & Penny). The 1995 run, especially, is legendary: the Rockets were a 6th seed, and Rudy led them past four 50-win teams. Doc Rivers: 1 NBA Championship (2008) with the Celtics. That team had three future Hall of Famers in their prime or close to it (Garnett, Pierce, Allen). Edge: Rudy. More titles, and arguably did more with less. Playoff Performance Rudy T: 51–39 playoff record (.567 winning %). Known for calm, steady leadership under pressure. His teams rarely collapsed in big moments. Doc Rivers: Over 100 playoff wins, but also a reputation for blown series leads (3 times lost up 3–1, 4 times up 3–2). Regularly criticized for underachieving with talented rosters. Edge: Rudy. Fewer opportunities, but delivered more consistently when it mattered. Coaching Style & Legacy Rudy T: Player’s coach, innovative with the 3-point-heavy offense for Hakeem’s Rockets. Famous quote: "Don’t ever underestimate the heart of a champion." Coached Team USA to gold at the 2000 Olympics. Doc Rivers: Strong locker room presence. Excellent at managing egos and crises (e.g., Sterling scandal). Criticized for tactical rigidity in the playoffs. Edge: Toss-up. Depends on whether you value locker room leadership vs. Xs and Os. Longevity Doc Rivers: 24+ years as a head coach, over 1,000 wins. Coached multiple franchises into contention. Rudy T: Shorter head coaching run (11 seasons), mainly with Houston. Retired early due to health issues. Edge: Doc. He has more volume and consistency over decades. Conclusion If you value championship impact, clutch performance, and maximizing roster potential, Rudy Tomjanovich likely rates higher. If you value longevity, regular-season wins, and player relations, Doc Rivers has the edge. But in terms of “better coach when it counted” — Rudy wins that argument.
I heard the reason teams keep hiring Doc is because he's great around front office people. Makes them feel comfortable and is very convincing about being able to get the job done. Fun guy to take to lunch, well respected by other front offices, etc.
It’s not that - it’s that he’s getting multiple chance only because he’s black. The media feels the need to prop him up because of it, when truthfully, he’s not a good coach.
Why do people care so much what AI thinks about anything? Some of you really need to speak to more people in the real world.
Rudy T took a bunch of non-NBA guys to the bronze medal in the 1998 FIBA championships during the lockout and was asked back to coach the gold medal Olympics team.
Doc also spent a career schmoozing with and as the media... like in the same way, Hakeem is better than Shaq but Shaq knows how to market himself.
Shaq vs Hakeem is a much more respectable conversation than Doc vs Rudy. Shaq is a top 10 basketball player ever.
Rudy Tomjanovich Coaching Amateur Basketball Team USA and winning a Bronze Medal when critics expected nothing. Players played hard and with Strategy in Games. (Lockout Year Maybe) Brad Miller was on that Team.
It’s good to be a rockets fan and say Hakeem is better. it’s dumb and removes all credibility to act like Shaq isn’t in that convo and a worthy rival.
