TOM's Talks | Catching Up With Doc Rivers

and of course an NBA championship. In this edition of Tom's Talks with chat was Sixers head coach Doc Rivers. Well, welcome to another edition of Tom's Talks and we're joined by Sixers head coach Glenn Doc Rivers and Coacha. Thank you so much. It's the first time we've had a

forum to shoot the breeze. And I must say, even though it's been over a couple of months since you got the job, watching you that first day of practice was like a reality, like for me, like when Larry Brown walked onto our practice quarter ten years ago or so when doctor Doug Collins did it. And to see you out there as a six years coach and the coach of our franchise. Was really exciting. And what was it like to take the floor for your first practice?

You know, Tom, it's interesting. First of all, it's about time we talked. Let me just start with that. And secondly, it was different than normal because of COVID. You know, usually, and you know this from being around, by the first day of camp, you've pretty much created some kind of relationship with all your players, whether you're a new coach or a coach that have been there for many of the guys. This is the longest period of time that

I've been with him since taking the job. This is the most that they've heard my voice and all my new staff's voice. So it was different. I wouldn't say this. I was pleasantly surprised with the endurance of our guys, Like I was surprised, you know, we didn't go as long as you would for a normal training camp because I don't think our guys could just sustain it. I think many of the guys that was the first time they went up and down since the bubble. That's incredible

when you think about it in those terms. But I thought conditioning wise, guys were in pretty good shape speaking of voice and endurance and just delving away from the here and now a little bit. You usually lose your voice by the end of the second week or so, so in practice with coaches like Burke and Yeager and coach Cassal, and then even in the arena. I don't know if you found this to be true in the bubble where you don't have to project over twenty thousand people.

Are we going to be able to have full throat throughout the early weeks months of the season. No, I'll lose my voice. I'm already losing. You know. It's funny. You just talk more. You know. What I've learned is when I get home, I talk none at all. Like tonight, I just kind of I'm quiet, and I watched TV and watch football for the most part and move on with it. But I have a heck of a staff, having Dave Yager, then Berg, Sam Casale, and I lean on my staff, you know, And so yeah, I'm hoping

they can be my savior for sure. Let's get into that a little bit, because, as you've said before, you like hiring guys that have been head coaches because they've walked that walk before. You've had Woodie and Lawrence Frank and Toronto Lou and all these other guys that have been head coaches. And you've done that again with Dave Yager. Speak to that as you bring in these other voices

and creative offensive minds. And Dan Burke's not the head coach, but a great defensive coach over the years in Indiana. Speak about your staff. Yeah, I've always done that. I mean, I'm listen, I'm just like you. We watched the league, right and you know what good looks like. You know, Uh, Spo and I did a podcast with Woes last year and woach ask us both at the same time, who was one of the better offensive guys that you go against, uh, that we probably wouldn't know, and we both sit uh

Dave Viager at the exact same time. And so it's funny. When I heard Spose say that, I remember thinking I need to go out and get Dave Viager. He's not coaching right now, and so I did. You know the same thing with Dan Indiana, no matter what the coach has been, their defense has always been legit and strong

and had that tough personality. Um, I am a believer that you you fit the personality of your city sometimes and this is a city of toughness, you know, and like we have to we have to embode that on everybody every night. And that's what we talked about as a team tonight. Uh. You know, we have size, you know when you look at our team this we have size on our team, you know, and and big, strong, athletic guys. We need to impose that on our our opponent.

And so you know, going out and getting Dan was perfect for that. And then with Sam, I really thought Sam could sale. The first thing I thought was been I thought Sam's gonna be great for Ben, and so

far has been terrific. Speaking of the initial conversation, like before you guys started to go through plays and up and down for practice, you know, there's that initial meeting where you talk about I'm assuming shared sacrifice, not skipping steps, being optimistic, bringing a good attitude, and and accountability and collaboration. You've said in the past, part of your deal is just saying up front, right off the bat, look, I don't have all the answers and it needs to be

a collaborative process. Speak to that, because that's a huge, important element of being a team with chemistry that's going to make it all the way to the end and play for seven or so much. There's no winning team that doesn't do it well. Cooperation, like it's the key to winning, the key to business. You have to cooperate, you have to get along, you have to be willing to sacrifice, you have to be willing to give up

yourself for the greater good of the team. And so we talked about a lot of that, and individually, I talked about guys, you know, dominating their role, like every night, you know, I told Joel every night they should know Joel and beats in the building and he's the baddest big man in the league. And you have to come out with that. But then on top of that, that can't not allow everybody else on the team to be great too. You know, if it's just about you being dominant,

not to whole team being dominant, it doesn't work. But it's about you being dominant and allowing the team to be dominant, it works beautifully. And I think that's what we're gonna do. Speaking about that accountability and stepping back up being specific about this team or our franchise. But in general, like in high school, the coach can just in a punitive way say I'm alie and make guys run. In college, he's dealing with men seventeen to twenty two.

He can control their minutes. In the pros, you can't necessarily bench a guy. You might hear from the front office of the ownership like, yo, we're paying that guy a lot of money, So it has to be player buying because you don't have that directive. Is that speak about that a little bit? Well? You do? You know, I've always kind of disagreed with that a little you know, I've always been like, listen, I'm gonna do what's best

for the team, and that's sitting a guy. Because I do it, and I'm willing to take the heat from wherever he goes. It's not going to change me. I'm gonna keep doing it, you know. Having said that, this is a player's league and that's okay. Players want to be coached. They do. They want to make sure you know, the difference between a player in college and a player in the pros is in college players have to be coached.

They have no choice. They're trying to get to the NBA and they know that college coach holds the card to that when they get to the pros, they still want to be coached. In my opinion, they just want to make sure it's worth it, you know. And I've always said that they want to make sure that they have a chance what's in it for them, and that's not being a selfish thing. That means as a team thing.

And so I've always you know, I tell young coaches all the time just because you know, I had a coach tell me once, you know, I got to show them I'm the head coach and I and I actually said, do me a favor. Go outside, look outside your door, and what does it say? And he says, well, it says head coach. I said, okay, they already know that. Now you've got to prove to them what you want them to do and that it will work, you know.

So I've never had a problem proven that, or at least trying to more of my conversation with Doc Rivers in a moment, But I would like to remind you that we'll have new episodes of Tom's Talks premiering Thursdays all season low and coming next week on the seventy six Ers podcast. Network, Matt Murphy chats with Jamir Nelson on a new edition of Coach Check, the official podcast of the Delaware Bluecoats, and Brian Seltzer catches up with Joel and be Now more of my conversation with Doc Rivers.

One of the things that drew you here, obviously is the talent. You've got a roster and now there's already been some tweaks. You've brought in a lot of shooters that will create spacing. Speak to the prospects of coaching this roster to a championship. Yeah, I mean, it's it's why I came. I chose them, and I told them that, like I did, have other choices, and one of them would go to TV and sit next to you maybe

on radio and just through games and enjoy. But I like being in afraid and I wanted to be in a fray with a group that I thought we can mode and win. You know, But with that statement comes you got to do the required stuff, man. Like you know, I told our guys, Okay, everybody wants to win the title, can Now what are you willing to do? Are we willing to do the required word that it takes. There's certain things that are required to win. You just can't say I want to win. You got to go out

and get in shape. You gotta go out and give up your game and trust each other. There's a lot of stuff to that, and I said, now that we've all committed to that, we're going to find out who actually wants to do that. And we'll find that out.

One other thing that's such a huge part of this, it's sort of the elephant in the room, is the COVID nineteen virus, just because, as you've said, if two or three of your players end up having to sit down and be quarantine, and this is during a chunk of your schedule where you're playing in two huge division rivals and they might miss six or so games, it's a it's a variable for the league and for your team, and the possibility is out there at any given time.

And that's where guys speaking of sacrifice have to It's just the wild card, is it not? It is? And I can honestly say, I know how it's gonna go. I wish I did we talk to our players. UM, you know, think about telling the play. Hey don't allow any family members in. Uh, if your friends want to come in and see you say, no, you know, trying not to eat at a restaurant, trying. I mean, there's a lot and this is not just the athletes. Everybody

that has to try to conduct themselves in the right way. Um, this this COVID is tough. Man. It's been a knockout punch. It really has been. But it's gonna be over soon, I hope, and we have to maintain through it. But you're right, Um, we have to try our best not to have that week where we're missing four five players because in a seventy two games schedule with not even a guarantee of that with COVID, every game is precious.

Right now. The East is so tough. I mean everyone talks about the West and you know that really well. But in your division you've got Toronto that's not going away, Boston who's been really a nemesis obviously for the Sixers as you know forever, and of course now Brooklyn and Atlanta, you got I mean, Milwaukee, Miami. This is it's gonna be a tough division, tough Eastern Conference. Yeah, the East is gonna be tough. You know, I keep following the

good conferences. I'm not figured that one out. You know. When I was in the East the last time, you know, we had Detroit and Cleveland and we had to try to get through all these teams. Then I go West and we have all these teams. So it's gonna make it interesting for sure. You gotta win games, you know, you gotta one thing. I told our guys, you know, and it's different without fans, But we have to be

on the road for sure. If we can continue to do what we've done last year at home and then go out and win road games, that we're really dangerous. You've been with a number of franchises, the Magic and Boston and the Clippers and played for a number You've got a lot going here with great ownership now with Darryl Moray and Elton Brand, yourself and a talented roster. This is a great situation. We've kind of spoken about this, but now it's time to go get it done and

prove that all these parts can lead yourself to a championship. Yeah. I love it. I love where we're at, I love working here. I love our group, you know, Darrow and you know Elton. Just a communication we have right now daily, We're so just united at the hip. I hope in five years I'm saying that that means we have won a title, and that's the goal. I think the greatest part about being here right now, you know, we'll see.

I think we were good enough to do that, and if we're not, I think we will be because the group we're working with, they're going to leave no stone unturned. They want to win. It's nice when you're with the group like that. Coach, I can't thank enough. We hope to do it again. Amen. We will guarantee. Thanks for

listening to this edition of Tom's Talks. If you like what you're hearing, consider subscribing to the seventy six ers podcast network Feed or giving us a follow wherever you get your pods and if that happens to be on Apple Podcasts, we'd love for you to give us a rating. I'm Tom McGinnis, talk to you down the road.