Getty Sixers head coach Doc Rivers talks to Monty Williams after the Suns and Sixers met back in February.
Doc Rivers might be sitting at home watching the playoffs like everyone else, but that’s not stopping him from mentoring his peers. The 59-year-old provided some recent words of encouragement to Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams.
Following Phoenix’s 123-119 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, Williams revealed that Rivers texted him with a motivational message a week or so ago. While the Philadelphia 76ers coach watched his team exit the postseason in the second round, Rivers did win a championship for the Boston Celtics in 2008. He knows a thing or two about winning.
“Well, I think Doc sent me a text, Rivers, a week or so ago and he kind of hit it on the head. Pressure is a privilege and that’s what we said to our guys,” Williams told reporters on Saturday. “Like we want to be in this position, as hard as it is, this is what you want. You’re not going to find greatness on the beach, you’re going to find it in the struggle. And that’s what we’ve told our guys from Day 1, you know, getting past hard so I think that’s helped all of us get ourselves conditioned for these types of moments.”
“Pressure is a privilege. … You’re not gonna find greatness on a beach. You’re gonna find it in the struggle.”
Monty Williams talked about a text he got from Doc Rivers ahead of Game 5. #NBAFinals
Williams was a one-time Sixers assistant (2018-19) who worked under Brett Brown, the man he credited for helping him draw up the “perfect play” earlier in the playoffs. The Suns hired Williams to be their head coach in 2019.
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Rivers Confident in New Pelicans Coach
Rivers is seen as The Godfather to many young black coaches around the NBA. He has been building and running successful organizations since 1999. Rivers started off his coaching career unexpectedly, but he has made an impact everywhere he’s been.
One of his former players, Willie Green, is set to be tabbed new head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans after the NBA Finals. Green was a backup point guard when Rivers coached the Los Angeles Clippers. He could see Green’s leadership potential back then, calling out his “right mix of basketball IQ and emotional intelligence.”
Former Clipper Willie Green hanging out with the team for a few days. Doc Rivers has always said Green could be a coach/front office guy
“He just has that rare thing,” Rivers told NOLA.com. “The ability to tell you the straight truth without offending you. There are not a lot of people on earth like that.”
Rivers tried to hire Green as an assistant in 2015, but he took a job with the Golden State Warriors instead. Then he wound up in Phoenix as a top assistant under Monty Williams, a guy who played for Rivers when he was coaching the Orlando Magic. Green was the 41st overall pick of the Sixers in the 2003 draft and spent seven seasons in Philly.
Bucks Looking to Close Out Suns
Meanwhile, the NBA Finals have taken a surprising turn over the past 72 hours. Phoenix once held a commanding 2-0 series lead but now they find themselves one more loss away from going home after Milwaukee ripped off three straight victories. The Suns blew a 16-point lead on Saturday night in a game they “let go.”
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has been phenomenal in the championship series, averaging nearly a triple-double per game (32.2 points, 13.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists). He scored 32 points in Game 5 and gave an epic speech on humility before the contest.
Life lessons with @Giannis_An34.