Doc Rivers: Why the New York Knicks Need to Show Him the Money
My previous article stated that Mike D’Antoni is not a championship-caliber coach. I also mentioned that there aren’t many championship-caliber coaches in the NBA, as only nine different coaches have led teams to an NBA title since 1982.
According to Forbes Magazine, NBA and NFL coaches are amongst the highest paid in American professional sports. Phil Jackson, Gregg Popovich and Doc Rivers are active championship-winning coaches and are on the list.
Who else is on that list? Mike D’Antoni, who makes the same amount of money as Gregg Popovich at $6 million a year. The same Gregg Popovich who schooled D’Antoni in the playoffs on a regular basis.
Jackson is at the top of the highest-paid coaches list and deserves to be. Don’t think for one minute that I don’t want the Knicks to pursue Jackson and give him an offer he can’t refuse.
The Knicks should offer Jackson a deal that would make Pat Riley’s Miami Heat president deal look like a discount. On top of that, Jackson knows what it’s like winning it all in New York, as he was a part of the last Knicks NBA title team.
But, odds of Jackson coming to NY are minimal, as he has stated that he is physically done coaching after this season. Also, leaving the Lakers for another team wouldn’t be good for Jackson’s love life, as his girlfriend is the Lakers owner’s daughter.
A more realistic option for the Knicks would be to show the money to another former Knicks player, Doc Rivers. While in New York, Rivers played under Pat Riley and knows the tenacious defensive intensity the Garden thrives on.
Rivers’ players share the heart and toughness Rivers played with. Can you imagine the Knicks carrying the swagger and toughness as they had in the 1990s?
Rivers is a championship-winning coach and has the experience of handling multiple stars. Players go to Boston to play for him, which is what the Knicks need.
This past offseason, Rivers displayed a desire to leave coaching and spend more time with his kids. According to Forbes, Rivers is earning slightly under $6 million this year. The Knicks need to show Doc Rivers the money. The Knicks need to make Doc Rivers the highest paid coach in North American sports.
I’m sure Rivers will find a way to make it up to his kids with the extra $4 million to $6 million the Knicks would be paying him.
This past week, the New York Knicks have announced they plan on raising ticket prices next season. The same New York Knicks, who were irrelevant for the past decade, will increase ticket prices by an average of 49 percent.
Mr. Dolan, if you are going to charge as much as the Lakers, then you need to start winning titles like them as well.
Bringing Doc Rivers to New York no matter the cost is a step in the right direction.
