Doc Rivers has not coached the Boston Celtics since 2013, but he always has kept his close ties to the Green — specifically the 2008 team he coached to an NBA title.
Rivers currently is gearing up to host the annual ABCD Hoops Dreams event on September 3 at the Auerbach Center alongside Brad Stevens and Boston Globe writer Bob Ryan. And in a sit-down interview with Sports Illustrated, Rivers reminisced on his time in the city and that historic Celtics team that raised the franchise’s 17th banner.
The coach talked about the chemistry of the 2008 squad and how that set them apart. He credited that chemistry to Kevin Garnett, saying there is no equivalent to the power forward in today’s game and comparing him to Tom Brady.
“Kevin Garnett is the greatest superstar team-builder that I’ve seen in the history of the game,” Rivers said. “He always considered the team before any action that he took on or off the floor, and for that to also be your superstar player is unusual. Kevin Garnett, like Tom Brady, is a culture-builder. When you have a guy like that, you’re going to win. Kevin is one of the greatest of all-time, but he’d be the last one to tell you.
“He was in the right mental place to win in Boston, as were Paul (Pierce) and Ray (Allen). They’d already done so many other things in their careers, but the one thing that stood out was something they couldn’t buy, something they couldn’t do alone. In order to do this, they had to come together as a group. Kevin really understood that, and he was willing to sacrifice anything for that, including his numbers and his fame.”
It’s not a bad comparison, though you could say the culture in Foxboro generates more from the coaching staff than Brady. But the quarterback is the epitome of a team-first guy and sets an incredible example for other players in the organization.
