Doc Rivers calls the Lakers 'the best franchise in sports history'

October 01, 2013|By Eric Pincus

Clippers Coach Doc Rivers during Clippers media day Monday. The former… (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles…)

The Lakers and Boston Celtics have one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports.

Doc Rivers, now coach of the Clippers, led the Celtics to the 2007-08 championship over the Lakers. Two years later, the Lakers got revenge -- winning the 2009-10 title in seven games over River's Celtics.

Recently Rivers gave the Lakers franchise an impressive compliment, speaking to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports about his move to the Clippers.

"The risk is all mine," said Rivers. "To go to an organization that hasn't won but [two] playoff series in their entire history, in a town where the other team is the best franchise in sports history – that's risk."

Given his years with the Celtics, an organization that has 17 NBA titles -- that's quite a comment about the Lakers.

The Lakers have 16 championships in their history but 10 to Boston's four since the 1979-80 season.

Rivers was let out of his contract this summer to join the Clippers, avoiding a rebuild in Boston with the departures of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

The Lakers appear to be rebuilding as well, although on paper they have a better team than the Celtics this season -- if Kobe Bryant returns successfully from Achilles' surgery.

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Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.