LA Clippers

As Celtics coach, Rivers hid cash in Staples Center to motivate team

Published Sep. 11, 2015 12:54 p.m. ET

foxsports

We think of Doc Rivers as a Clipper now, but it wasn't too long ago when he was starring for the Celtics as one of the best and most revered coaches in the NBA. The way he got there? Becoming one of the most respected motivators out there. And he did it in unconventional ways.

In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Rivers explained that back in February of 2010, when he thought his team wasn't playing to its potential, he collected $100 from each player after a game in the Staples Center, the home of the Lakers. The money aggregated to $2,600, which Rivers hid in the visitor's locker room.

It was a sort of ploy to be able to say to the players, "We're going to come back here to get it."

Here's more from SI:

“It was just a gut move,” said Rivers. “I thought the Lakers would be in the NBA Finals, and the only way to play them again was to get there with them.”

If his Celtics made it to the Finals, the money -- which added up to $2,600 -- would be returned.

“I started asking for money from all the players,” explained Rivers. “Getting money from Kevin Garnett was like pulling a tooth. I said, ‘Just give me a hundred dollars! That’s all I want!’ Then finally I told him what I was doing, and Kevin wanted to pay for everyone, saying, ‘I’ll pay for him, I’ll pay for him, I’ll pay for him.’ Then I made them all get all out of the locker room, and I lifted [assistant coach] Kevin Eastman up and we found this one spot where we thought security would never go. When we played the first game of the Finals there, the players got off the bus and went straight in the locker room. We were lucky that it was there.

“But the funniest call during that was when [Gregg Popovich] called me and asked, ‘Is there money in the San Antonio locker room?’”

A couple reactions...

First, Pop obviously figured it out. He's Pop. He is everywhere. He knows everything. He sees everyone. Some people have eyes in the back of their head. Well, Pop has mind readers in the back of your brain. Just learn to deal with it.

Second, I love this story, but isn't Doc insanely lucky that the Lakers actually made it to the Finals? I mean, there was no guarantee that if the Celtics made it to the 2010 Finals, which they did only to lose to L.A., that the Lakers would actually be there. They were only two games better than the Mavericks, three better than the Suns, four better than the Nuggets at season's end.

Do we think Doc was leading postseason wins and immediately rushing home to root super hard for the Lakers as he thought, "Wow, I only really considered one side of this $2,600 thing, huh?"

(h/t Sports Illustrated)