Maybe this isn’t a fair question.
Maybe it’s the wrong time of year to bring this up. It’s July — Doc is on vacation and he’s going to enjoy these next couple of months of peace and quiet before his hectic NBA life starts up again.
Maybe we’re asking it under the wrong circumstances. The Celtics just lost a painful seven-game NBA Finals, giving away a title they came agonizingly close to winning. Anyone would be at least a little deflated after that.
And maybe Doc is just the wrong guy for the question. With him, it’s never about heart — he figures out the X’s and O’s, and on a veteran team like the Celtics, the rest takes care of itself.
But still, why so noncommittal, Doc? Why so lukewarm? Why so reluctant to say, “Yes, Boston, I’ve stood by you through six long years, and I’m ready for at least one more?” It should have been so easy to come out and say just that. But Doc waited until the very last minute before finally crawling back to the Celtics to commit to another season.
Perhaps that’s OK.
For over two months, Rivers downplayed the drama surrounding his future because it’s not about him. Each season and each playoff run is about the players that have worked so hard to reach the highest level. And moreover, it’s the same every year, he insisted, there’s always speculation about Doc stepping down from his position with the Celtics. And he never does.
Every year, Doc comes back. You can’t keep him away from the team he’s worked so hard to build up to this point — through all the good times and all the bad, he’s been there, doing everything he can.
When the Celtics endured one of the worst seasons in franchise history back in 2006-07, going 24-58 and eliciting chants of “Fire Doc!” from even the most forgiving of TD Garden fans, Doc was there and he fought through it. When they won a championship a year later, he was there and he savored it.
When they endured a couple of difficult playoff runs in the two years that followed, including one that ended in the agonizing Game 7 in Los Angeles in June, Doc was there and he kept his team focused despite adversity.
Doc has been with this team through thick and thin. And things are pretty thick now, so how could he not love it?
The Celtics have a big opportunity awaiting them next season. With Paul Pierce back, Rajon Rondo still on the rise, and Kevin Garnett still chugging along, the nucleus is still intact, and the C’s have one last shot at winning a title with their core group.
For that, his heart will be in it.
NESN.com will answer one Celtics question every day in July.
Tuesday, July 6: Will Kendrick Perkins be back and healthy?
Thursday, July 8: Will the defense be strong without Tom Thibodeau?
