Doc Rivers secured the role of head coach for the Eastern Conference in the upcoming 2024 NBA All-Star Game after his Milwaukee Bucks achieved a crucial victory against the Dallas Mavericks. The Bucks’ 129-117 win on Saturday marked Rivers’ first win coaching All-Stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.
Rivers was appointed as the head coach for the Milwaukee Bucks just two weeks prior, following the dismissal of Adrian Griffin after 43 games. Despite a challenging start with a loss to the defending champion Denver Nuggets and another defeat against the Portland Trail Blazers in Lillard’s return, the recent victory against the Mavericks propelled the Bucks to a 33-16 record for the season.
Expressing his amusement at the unique circumstances surrounding his appointment, Rivers commented, “That is ridiculously bad. It really is. Well, Adrian’s gonna get some money, that’s for sure. And a ring. It’s one of these quirky things. I think there should be a rule somehow that someone else does it other than me. Maybe I’ll send my staff, and I’ll go on vacation.”
The technically superior Boston Celtics, with a 37-12 record, have the best record in the Eastern Conference. However, NBA rules prevent a coach from leading an All-Star team in consecutive seasons, and since Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was in charge of Team Giannis in the previous year’s All-Star game, Rivers became the eligible choice.
The 2024 NBA All-Star Game is set to return to the East vs. West format and will take place in Indianapolis, marking the first time since 1985 for the event to be held in the city.
Doc Rivers, with a storied coaching career, previously won the 2008 NBA Finals as the head coach of the Boston Celtics and served as an All-Star coach twice during his tenure with the Celtics. Additionally, during his time with the Philadelphia 76ers, he coached Team Durant in the 2021 All-Star matchup. His upcoming fourth appearance as an All-Star Game coach ties him with seven other coaches for the fourth-most appearances in NBA history.
This situation of a newly appointed coach participating in the All-Star game has precedent in NBA history. In 2016, the Cleveland Cavaliers fired head coach David Blatt midway through his second season, with a 30-11 record. Tyronn Lue, who took over, coached the All-Star game and ultimately led the team to victory in the NBA Finals.
Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch and his staff will coach the All-Star team. The Timberwolves, with a record of 35-15, have clinched the best record in the West, making this Finch’s first time coaching in an NBA All-Star Game and Minnesota’s first All-Star Game head coach since Flip Saunders in 2004.