Doc Rivers recalls his LA Clippers tenure, reveals star duo had just '5 practices together' the entire season

Recently, former LA Clippers and current Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers featured on the Dan Patrick Show. Doc Rivers was sacked by the LA Clippers after a team featuring Kawhi Leonard and Paul George lost against the Denver Nuggets in the 2019-20 NBA Western Conference semifinals.

There's only one "Doc" in the city of Philadelphia, and it isn't #Sixers Head Coach @DocRivers, as "Glenn" Rivers explained to us 😂 pic.twitter.com/39zPlh4p1D

— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) February 10, 2021

During the interview, Doc Rivers spoke at length about the sacking and talked about the hilarious “chicken-wings” incident that led to Lou Williams missing the first two games of the NBA restart, after the league had been suspended due to COVID-related safety and health protocols last season.

Doc Rivers talks about LA Clippers sacking and Lou Williams’ “chicken-wings gate” on The Dan Patrick Show

During the interview, Doc Rivers was asked whether his LA Clippers sacking was a difficult one to take, a question that he answered frankly, and said that he did not get a real chance to get the team playing to their potential.

Doc Rivers believs that the LA Clippers were unlucky with injuries during NBA 2019-20.

“It’s a hard one, because I know I can coach. It was not an easy year last year, then you’re in the bubble. You know, half the guys didn’t play most of the year. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard I think had five practices together the entire year. So you know you never got a chance to coach that real team, and get them to their potential. I looked at that team and thought, you know, healthy, all year, I think we would have been hard to beat.”

Clippers' chemistry issues? Sources say some players have struggled with the organization’s preferential treatment that's afforded to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.👀👇

— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) January 23, 2020

Speaking about the LA Clippers’ NBA bubble, Doc Rivers spoke at length about Lou Williams’ 10-day quarantine which came as a result of an unmandated trip to Atlanta City for chicken wings from a specific gentleman’s club.

“We never had that, the bubble was a disaster. Lou Williams had that chicken-wing gate, if you remember. He went back to Atlanta for a reason, there was a death in his family, and we really fought for him to go. And then, I get a late night call about the chicken wings. I am like, you gotta be kidding me.”

Regardless, Doc Rivers has since been announced as the Philadelphia 76ers’ head coach, and his side is currently 1st in the Eastern Conference with a terrific 18-7 record. He spoke about moving on from the sacking, something he seems to have done to good effect.

“But you gotta move on with it, that’s one thing in coaching and in life. The next day I was telling Lou how not smart that was. You are looking at your team like, you gotta get your team together, so it puts you in a tough spot.”