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Yesterday — 1 April 2026Main stream

Former Clippers Coach Part of Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026

✇Yahoo! Sports - News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games
1 April 2026 at 19:00
Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers talks to Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) as he leaves the game against the New Orleans Pelicans in the fourth quarter at Staples Center.

Former Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2026, according to a report from ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Joining Rivers in the class are six-time WNBA All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire and former WNBA MVPs and champions Candace Parker and Elena Delle Donne. There will likely be more inductees added to the class in the future.

Rivers coached the Clippers during the franchise’s iconic “Lob City” era. He also won the 2008 NBA Championship with the Boston Celtics and was named the 1999-2000 NBA Coach of the Year.

In his final season with the Clippers, Rivers coach current superstar Kawhi Leonard in his rookie season.

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers talks to Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) as he leaves the game against the New Orleans Pelicans in the fourth quarter at Staples Center.
Nov 24, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers talks to Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) as he leaves the game against the New Orleans Pelicans in the fourth quarter at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Rivers Is A Polarizing Figure in Clippers’ History

Rivers had a polarizing reputation during his stint with the Clippers. Some former players have spoken about their experiences with Rivers as head coach.

Former Clippers forward Glen “Big Baby” Davis said one of his biggest issues with Rivers came after he had security escort Davis back to the locker room following a heated verbal exchange on the bench in March 2014.

Davis said that experience was embarrassing and “killed his career”.

Another former player, shooting guard Lou Williams, had a different opinion about Rivers. He credited Rivers for helping him put together some of the strongest seasons of his career in which he won two of his threeNBA Sixth Man of the Year Awards.

“I love Doc. It’s a grey area with Doc. Either guys really love him, or they’ve got the worst sh*t in the world to say about Doc. That wasn’t my experience. ” Williams said on “The Underground Lounge” in August 2024. “There’s a handful of guys that really don’t rock with Doc. I have to tell you, that wasn’t my experience man. When I got here, I thought my career was done, so I wasn’t excited to be a Clipper. Doc reassured me. That ended up being the best run of my career. That made people appreciate everything that I put into it, and I give Doc a lot of credit for that.”

Photo Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

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