LAS VEGAS — Doc Rivers stopped himself from going into a full rant — half baptist preacher, half exasperated coach — when talking about the simplicity of basketball, the simplicity of this NBA Cup.
“I’m not gonna get on the soapbox,” Rivers said Saturday. “But I just think, and they’re gonna [blame this] generation, but I’m trying not to, but accept the challenge. We run from challenges a lot.”
The Milwaukee Bucks coach wasn’t talking about his team specifically with “We,” but regarding basketball culture as a whole. In a lot of ways, players have become too cool to try, that something as physically and emotionally draining as putting yourself out there is looked upon as a black mark, a reason to ridicule players.