The NBA and ESPN have a partnership that spans many years. Many former basketball players and coaches have taken up broadcast careers with the renowned network. The most recent hiring will make for some interesting takes. ESPN has hired Austin Rivers as a studio analyst. He and his father, Doc Rivers, will call at least 1 NBA game together on the network this season.
The Rivers take on ESPN
ESPN is making splashes with their new hires. Less than one week after Andre Iguodala retired, he landed a gig as an NBA analyst with the network. Now, Doc Rivers and Austin Rivers bring their wealth of experience to an already-stacked team.
Doc Rivers had a successful run as an NBA coach. The 62-year-old is a one-time Coach of the Year award winner, helped teams achieve numerous winning records, and coached the Boston Celtics to an NBA Championship in 2008. Rivers was named to the NBA 75 Top 15 Greatest Coaches In League History list in 2022. Of course, his son also has an impressive resume.
Austin Rivers is an eleven-year NBA veteran. He has career averages of 8.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. Rivers played important roles on playoff teams including the Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, and Denver Nuggets.
The father-son duo had a memorable on-the-court moment in November 2019 when the Clippers faced the Rockets. Doc Rivers was upset at a call and his son, who then played for the opposing team, signaled to the referees to give him a technical. Naturally, the veteran coach was ejected from the game, but he had no ill feelings about his son's antics.
The Rivers pairing on ESPN should make things interesting as the 2023-24 NBA basketball season starts up.
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