Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich has just won his fifth NBA title. He has been to the playoffs 17 times in a row. He is the mastermind behind one of the quietest dynasties in the history of the NBA. But in 1999 he was on the verge on being fired. The rumors of the day said that then-analyst and former San Antonio great Doc Rivers was a favorite to get the job. His subsequent success is a testament to fundamental play and team-oriented thought. But what would have happened if Doc took the job? Who would be taking the Clippers players out for a free dinner?
Apparently in 1999, it was believed that the third-year Spurs coach was in the hot seat. After a couple of rocky seasons Popovich was under review according to many players from that roster. Point guard Avery Johnson had this to say about that intense period (via NBC Sports):
"There was a lot of noise about Pop being potentially replaced by Doc, so David [Robinson] and I went to Pop's house before we got on the flight to go to Houston. Pop talked to us and ... what I will say is we came out of there feeling so strongly about Pop that we knew we had to go win that game."
Fortunately, things worked out and Doc Rivers has found success of his own, winning a championship with an underdog Celtics team, and a serious playoff contender with his newly rebuilt Clippers.
Doc, as well as Pop, seems to inspire loyalty in his players. So what is Doc Rivers' secret? He treats his players to a free meal. It's a powerful gesture (via TMZ):
"Doc tells TMZ Sports he takes all of his players out to 1-on-1 meals at nice restaurants ... and despite the fact most of his players make WAY more money than he does, Doc always foots the bill."
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