A head coach in the NBA sees all sorts of players come through their team. Some turn out to be genuine pupils who give everything on the court, and some who do not fit. Then there are some that are devoted players but also do like to enjoy their time off-the court. One such player was under Doc Rivers.
During his time with the Los Angeles Clippers, Doc Rivers had quite a few outstanding teams. But during his later years with the franchise, he was overseeing a transition from the Chris Paul-era to the Kawhi Leonard one.
Lou Williams was one of the players that came in during that transition period. During his first two seasons there, he was the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year. That usually means the head coach relies on that player a lot. Williams details one incident where Doc Rivers forced him to play to his best.
I got to the arena, f**k I’m drunk as hell. Doc Rivers called my number, I turn the ball over twice immediately. I walk up to Doc Rivers, I say, ‘Doc, I’mma tell you the truth, I’m drunk as f***, I went too far, I’m sorry. Doc Rivers looked me square in my eyes, he said, ‘You playing the whole 2nd quarter because I need you sweat that s**t out, because I’mma need you in the fourth quarter’.
Lou Williams on
The Underground Lounge
This clippers Knicks lou Williams doc rivers story so crazy lol pic.twitter.com/CeqqyQHkTn
— Jamal Cristopher (@JamCristopher) November 20, 2024
The now 38-year-old went on to reveal that he went on to score 25 in that fourth quarter. That means, Doc Rivers‘ method of forcing him to sweat himself out worked at the end. It could indicate that an experienced head coach knows how to deal with every situation.
Doc Rivers knew Lou Williams’ worth as a sixth man
When basketball fans think of outstanding bench players, they usually think of Manu Ginobili. The San Antonio Spurs star was more efficient coming off the bench than start games. That led him to four NBA titles and one Sixth Man of the Year award.
Lou Williams, on the other hand, has no NBA titles to show for. But he has three Sixth Man of the Year awards, tying with former Los Angeles Clippers teammate Jamal Crawford. In addition to those awards, the Atlanta native racked up 13396 points by the time he retired, all from the bench. That makes him the all-time leader in that category.
Under Doc Rivers, the guard has two of his most productive seasons, further establishing his value as one of the best bench players to grace the game. No wonder the championship winning-head coach wanted him to ‘sweat it off’ and dominate the fourth quarter.
