Doc Rivers tells incredible Dennis Rodman story on ESPN broadcast

Mar 22, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers enters the building before the game against the Chicago Bulls at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

Doc Rivers is already dropping some real gems in just his first month on ESPN’s NBA broadcast team.

The ex-NBA Coach of the Year Rivers was on the call alongside play-by-play announcer Dave Pasch for Wednesday’s Los Angeles Lakers-Sacramento Kings game (which the Kings would win in a 125-110 blowout). During the first half of the game, Rivers took some time to share a tremendous story about his one-time teammate Dennis Rodman. Rivers said that he once enlisted Rodman … to babysit his son Austin in the 1990s.

Noting that it was during their time together as teammates on the San Antonio Spurs, Rivers revealed that Rodman volunteered to babysit for him and that Rivers took him up on the offer for one night. Rivers said Rodman did “a great job” but noted that “the house was a mess” afterwards.

You can listen to Rivers tell the full story below.

That one time Doc let Dennis Rodman babysit Austin Rivers 😂🔊 pic.twitter.com/jFvCbgFAp7

— ESPN (@espn) November 16, 2023

Rivers was teammates with Rodman on the Spurs during the 1994-95 NBA season. That means that Austin, who was born in 1992, would have been around two or three years old at the time.

Rodman’s famous antics, including dyeing his hair, getting himself ejected on a consistent basis, and dating Madonna, really began during those years with the Spurs, so that was quite the time for Rivers to choose Rodman as a babysitter. Perhaps that story will end up making a cameo in the upcoming movie about The Worm.