One of the more underrated qualities of the Boston Celtics that has helped them find unparalleled success in the history of the NBA has been their tendency to field an especially competent front office for most of the history of the team. There were of course some lean years in the era after Larry Bird retired, but other than the so-called wilderness era in the mid-1990s, from the dynasty era of the late 1950s and 60s up to the present has seen some truly great basketball minds at the helm of the team.
And it sounds like former Celtics (and, most recently, Milwaukee Bucks) coach Doc Rivers misses that dynamic after a rocky tenure with the Bucks.
Advertisement
Speaking in a recent guest appearance on the Ringer “Bill Simmons” podcast, Rivers said “I don’t want to take shots at anybody, but I will say this – there are a lot of front office guys who can go out and get the stars.”
Mar 29, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers and Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens watch from the sideline in the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
“There’s very few of them that can then build a team into a championship team,” continued the former Boston head coach. “That’s what you have to do.”
“You can go out and get these names. But can you make the other moves? You look at Danny Ainge, he’s done it a ton. Brad Stevens has done it, Sam Presti, it took him a while, and he finally figured it out.”
Advertisement
While Rivers did mention the mastermind behind the recent success of the Oklahoma City Thunder as well, the ubiquity of not only Stevens but his former team president when he was with the Celtics hints at a shot at his time with Milwaukee.
Listen to “Havlicek Stole the Pod” on:
Blue Wire: https://tiny.ee/CdKp
iTunes: https://tiny.ee/RK47
YouTube: https://tiny.ee/cOW3
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Did Doc Rivers take a shot at Bucks while lauding Celtics, Thunder?