“I left a place of destination, we were the laughingstock” - Doc Rivers believes he put the LA Clippers on the map, says he’s proud of his work with them

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers reflected on his time with the LA Clippers as Philadelphia geared up to travel to LA to take on the Clippers.

Speaking to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Doc Rivers spoke about his time with the Clippers and how he needed to bring a change to the outlook of the franchise and the way it was being perceived by the players. Rivers said:

"Listen, I was with this organization for years. But a lot happened in that years. I left a place of destination. We were the laughingstock. No one wanted to play for the Clippers."

"We heard all of that. If there’s a free-agent war versus the Lakers, don’t try. That’s something that I will always be proud of. The Clippers now are in the NBA, and I feel like I played a major part in that."

Doc Rivers took charge of the LA Clippers in 2013 after his tenure with the Boston Celtics. While Rivers did not manage to win a championship with the franchise, he did produce some memorable moments with the organization from the Lob City team to a team led by Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.

---

Can Kawhi Leonard lead the LA Clippers to a championship next season?

Kawhi Leonard in attendance for one of the games

Kawhi Leonard is one of the best players in the game right now, arguably the league's best two-way player other than Giannis Antetokounmpo. "The Claw" showed his loyalty by signing a new deal with the LA Clippers in the summer which gives him $176.3 million over four years.

The franchise, which began as the Buffalo Braves in the 1970-71 season, has never won a championship. In fact, last season's run to the conference finals was the deepest the Clippers have ever advanced. The franchise was a laughingstock in the 1980s and 1990s. The LA Clippers had just two winning seasons from 1979 to 2011.

Leonard and Paul George give the Clippers two franchise players who are excellent on both sides of the floor. They have the experience and postseason know-how to lead the team to glory. However, the pieces surrounding them will be crucial, especially when the LA Clippers are willing to part ways with almost everyone on the roster.

The duo are crying out for a point guard who can bring the ball up the floor and orchestrate the offense. If the team can acquire a point guard and get Leonard and George healthy, there's no reason they can't be a championship contender next season.

With Damian Lillard possibly available, Los Angeles must do its due diligence to acquire the best point guard possible and unite him with Kawhi and PG13.