The NBA has officially selected its 15 greatest head coaches ever, and the list comes with a pretty surprising inclusion.
As part of its ongoing 75th anniversary celebration, the NBA chose the 15 greatest coaches in league history. They announced the list on Tuesday, which had many obvious picks like Red Auerbach, Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich, and Pat Riley. But many were surprised to see one particular name on the list too: Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers.
The 15 Greatest Coaches in NBA History! #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/4f9SGm0iCG
— NBA (@NBA) February 9, 2022
The NBA releases its Top 15 Coaches of all-time list: pic.twitter.com/nwCOWLzjJx
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) February 9, 2022
Rivers, who was one of four active coaches selected along with Popovich, Erik Spoelstra, and Steve Kerr, is an interesting choice. He has the fewest championship wins (one with the Boston Celtics in 2008) and the fewest Finals appearances (two: 2008 and 2010) of any of those four head coaches. Rivers is also notorious for his perceived shortcomings as a tactician as well as for his tendency to blow big leads.
In Rivers’ defense, he has had a lengthy 23-season career as a head coach and is one of only ten coaches to win at least 1,000 games in the NBA. But there were several notable snubs from the list, including Rick Adelman, Rick Carlisle, Bill Fitch, Rudy Tomjanovich, John Kundla, and Derek Fisher (OK, just kidding on that last one). The decision to select Rivers over any of those guys is one that will surely spark some debate, just like the NBA’s other 75th anniversary list did.
Photo: Feb 15, 2020; Chicago, Illinois, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks at a press conference during NBA All Star Saturday Night at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
