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No matter where he goes, Doc Rivers will always call Boston ‘another home’

"I come here in the summer and spend time. I go to the Vineyard and spend time. I feel like a Bostonian when I do that."

Since taking over the reins in Milwaukee on January 26, Doc Rivers has gone 12-10 with the Bucks heading into Wednesday's night's game against the Celtics at the Garden.

By Khari A. Thompson

March 20, 2024

3 minutes to read

Doc Rivers returned to Milwaukee to coach the Milwaukee Bucks. He’s familiar with the city; it’s where he played college basketball at Marquette.

It’s his fifth stop as an NBA head coach. He got his start with the Magic, spent seven seasons with the Clippers, and was fired by the 76ers last year after losing to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.

But, he said there’s no place quite like Boston, where he won the only championship of his coaching career.

“This is the only one,” Rivers said. “All of them have meaning because you worked there. Orlando gave me my first job. The Clippers, Philly, but this is — come on. I was here for nine years. We won a title. We went to the Finals twice. My emotional energy will always be here clearly.”

“This is another home for me,” Rivers continued. “I come here in the summer and spend time. I go to the Vineyard and spend time. I feel like a Bostonian when I do that.

“So, yeah, that will never go away and it’s cool being here whenever I get here. I go to the same places, I eat the same foods. I’m just happy all those restaurants are still open, which means I had good taste.”

It’s been 11 years since Rivers left the Celtics in 2013. Although he is now coaching the Bucks, who are second in the Eastern Conference standings behind the Celtics, Rivers said he still looks forward to seeing old friends whenever he returns to TD Garden.

“It’s just like life, right?” said Rivers, who has gone 12-10 since his hiring back on Jan. 26. “But really I’m not removed from it when I get to the building. Your friends are still your friends here. They don’t go away, at least hopefully.”

“You just have special relationships with people here. That’s the part that people don’t get that will never go away. Your connection to those people just never leaves.”

Bucks miss Holiday

Celtics guard Jrue Holiday, who won a title with the Bucks in 2021, missed Wednesday’s matchup against his former team with an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder.

Milwaukee traded Holiday to Portland in the deal that brought Damian Lillard to the Bucks. The Celtics acquired Holiday from Portland in exchange for Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams III, and a pair of first-round picks.

Rivers said the Bucks had to change their defensive scheme to make up for the loss of the three-time NBA All-Defensive first-teamer.

“That was one of the first things I said, like we’re not going to run the Jrue Holiday defense,” Rivers said. “Jrue and Dame (Lillard) are two completely different guys. Dame is an offensive scorer who can play defense. Jrue is the guy that can score that is a great defender.”

“They’re both great in their own way but they’re different, so it forces you to play differently. Jrue’s ability to pressure the ball up the floor, we don’t have that. We don’t have the guards that can just get over screens. So it forces us to play different, and we’re still learning that to be quite honest, but we’re getting better at it.”

Tillman’s assist

Celtics forward Xavier Tillman participated in a basketball clinic with 60 youth at The Salvation Army Boston South End Corps’ Community Center on Tuesday.

The Celtics and Dunkin partnered to renovate the community center’s gymnasium. Tillman and Celtics mascot Lucky the Leprechaun were on hand at the event, which celebrated the unveiling of the renovations with sweet treats and surprise giveaways.

“It’s pretty surreal. There was a young man here today that scored a shot to win tickets, and he was so excited,” Tillman said. “It really brings you down to earth and gives you perspective of why we do what we do every day.”