National Basketball Association

Doc Rivers' son rips ESPN's Simmons

Published Jun. 28, 2013 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Bill Simmons is a Boston Celtics fan and Doc Rivers is a successful coach who just left the Boston Celtics to coach the Los Angeles Clippers.

Tough break for the Celtics, eh? Oh well, you know? Seasons change, coaches move on, such is life, right?

In this case, no. This time, some feelings have been hurt, some names have been called and we’ve now entered the, “Can you guys just hash this out between the two of you?” phase of a tiff might have worked better as a scene on “Real Sports Guys of Boston,” if such a thing existed.

Oh, and in addition to being a Celtics fan, Simmons is a member of the sports media. He works for ESPN. This is important.

“I would call him an idiot,” Rivers told ESPN. “But I’m too classy for that.”

Apparently not.

Anyway, this all stems from Rivers’ departure from the Celtics. Simmons asserted, via live TV during the draft, that Rivers quit on the team. Rivers asserted, via WEEI in Boston, that Simmons had been lobbying to have Rivers fired. Writing letters and such. Simmons asserted, via Twitter, that Rivers is “making sh*t up.” Simmons also referred to Rivers by his given name, Glenn, for some reason.

Here's Rivers, late in the second round of the NBA Draft, getting in another not-so-subtle dig and Simmons' reaction . . .

The beef also came to include one of Rivers’ sons, Jeremiah, who peppered Simmons in a hail of tweets . . .

@BillSimmons @espn Your the same guy who was trying to run my dad out of town when it seemed like the Celtics were down and out.
— Jeremiah Rivers (@JRivers25) June 28, 2013

@BillSimmons @espn Then you praised him like GOD himself when he helped turn things around. Where is your loyalty.
— Jeremiah Rivers (@JRivers25) June 28, 2013

@BillSimmons @espn You know nothing about winning, about sacrifice, and being a champion. You sit behind a desk and pick on people.
— Jeremiah Rivers (@JRivers25) June 28, 2013

@BillSimmons @espn .You are a Internet bully. There is a reason nobody will side with you. They like my dad better than you.
— Jeremiah Rivers (@JRivers25) June 28, 2013

@BillSimmons @espn If you don’t have all the facts, which you clearly DON’T, I suggest you sit down and shut up. Good day sir.
— Jeremiah Rivers (@JRivers25) June 28, 2013

So there’s that, whatever it is.