Doc Rivers initially didn’t want to coach the Celtics, but the persistence of Danny Ainge and the front office along with a mutual admiration for a draft prospect led him to change his mind.
In an interview with former Celtics stars Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce on “KG: Certified,” Rivers shared how Ainge surprised him when the Celtics were recruiting him during the 2004 offseason.
“I was going to turn down the Celtics job because I had just left Orlando, I wanted a year,” Rivers recalled. “Danny calls me and says, ‘Hey, can we talk?