26. Glenn Anton “Doc” Rivers
Like many Chicago natives, Glenn Anton “Doc” Rivers exemplifies a large part of what it means to be a product of his environment.
Rivers was born in Chicago. He attended high school at Proviso East High School in Maywood, Illinois and went on to enroll in college at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Rivers made his NBA debut in October of 1983 after getting selected with the No. 31 overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks.
During the span of his career, Rivers put up 10.9 points, 5.7 assists and 3 rebounds per game. Most of his time was spent with the Hawks. Rivers also played for the New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs and Los Angeles Clippers.
Among some of Rivers’ professional accolades of note is one All-Star Game nod and the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award.
Rivers has a 0.5% probability of getting inducted as a player into the Hall of Fame.
Rivers is currently assuming head coach duties for the Clippers. In the past, he assumed the head coach role for the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics. The latter is a team in which Rivers helped lead to an NBA championship. Not to mention he was named Coach of the Year during the 1999-2000 season while coaching the Magic.
About a year ago, Rivers’ name had come up in discussion among some analysts to be potentially named Coach of the Year again. About this time, he was getting recognized for his work with the Clippers.
Why, you ask?
During the 2018-2019, season, Rivers seemingly did the unthinkable coaching the rebuilding Clippers organization into clinching a playoff spot. The Coach of the Year award would ultimately go to Mike Budenholzer of the Milwaukee Bucks by the year’s end.
The good news is it wouldn’t be long before some stopped scoffing at the idea of the Clippers not being underdogs in their own hometown. The Clippers, which entered the following season with a revamped roster, were expected to make some noise during the postseason in 2020. This might still hold true, but the league went on a hiatus in March in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
It remains to be seen how Rivers and the Clippers will end the 2019-2020 season.