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Doc Rivers may eventually end up with the Los Angeles Clippers in a proposed deal that will include players trading sides as well as draft picks. Talks between the Celtics and Clippers have stalled but will likely be resuscitated between the end of the NBA Finals and the start of the draft.
If Rivers were to switch coasts and conferences, Erik Spoelstra will then jump ahead of Rivers and hold the title of being the NBA’s second-longest-tenured head coach. It doesn’t seem right, of course, and not because Spoelstra is only 42. The number that’s stunning is that Spoelstra has only held the job for five years since replacing his boss, Pat Riley, and yet only Rivers (nine years) and San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich (17) have more tenure.
“I think it’s a terrible state for the profession right now,” Spoelstra said. “And look, all you have to do is look at the San Antonio organization and the Miami Heat organization. For true success in the NBA, you must have consistency of culture. When you see that type of turnover over and over and over, it’s impossible to create any kind of sustainable consistent culture.
“And we don’t see it as a coincidence. We’ve had the same leadership in our organization now for 18 years. Micky Arison took over, put Pat in charge. Even though we have had four different coaches, myself, Pat, Ronny (Rothstein) and Stan (Van Gundy), it still has been the same culture and relatively the same philosophy. San Antonio has been the same way for 15 years with Pop in charge.”
Reported by Frank Isola of the New York Daily News
