<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-austin-rivers-bold-sga-biggest-star-claim');   ga('set', 'title', 'Austin Rivers makes bold ‘biggest star’ claim on Thunder’s SGA');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/SGA-complains.jpg"><figcaption> Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Austin Rivers makes bold ‘biggest star’ claim on Thunder’s SGA</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-12-09T11:10:10-08:00">December 9th, 11:10am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-12-09T11:10:10-08:00">December 9th, 11:10am</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University alum from Atlanta who graduated with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/clutchpoints-2025-26-nba-power-rankings-week-7-thunder-dominance-celtics-rise">Oklahoma City Thunder have been on fire</a> to start to the 2025-26 NBA season, currently sitting at 23-1 ahead of this week’s NBA Cup knockout round matchup against the Phoenix Suns. The Thunder have been <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-shai-gilgeous-alexander-explains-viral-caption">led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander,</a> who is currently among the frontrunners to win what would be his second straight MVP award this season.</p><p>Recently, former NBA point guard Austin Rivers had<a href="https://x.com/NBA__Courtside/status/1998439672746246339" rel="noopener"> a bold take</a> as it pertained to Gilgeous-Alexander’s profile among the league’s biggest stars.</p><p>“If he was more active on social media, born in America and played in hot market he’d be the biggest star in the league by a landslide,” said Rivers, per NBA Courtside on X, formerly Twitter, via NBC Sports.</p><p>Indeed, Gilgeous-Alexander hails from Canada, which could play a role in how receptive American audiences have been to him thus far.</p><p>It’s unclear where Rivers is getting the “active on social media” part from, as Gilgeous-Alexander has become known for his poetic Instagram captions over the years, but it’s certainly safe to say that if he were playing in a bigger market than Oklahoma City, his star would be quite a bit more notable.</p><p>Still, Gilgeous-Alexander certainly seems happy where he is now, and for good reason: the Thunder are currently on pace to shatter the NBA record for wins in a season, set by the Golden State Warriors in 2015-16, and they’ve also shown that they’re far more than a one-man show, winning by 30 points earlier this week despite SGA and several other players missing the game due to injury.</p><p>It should be noted that the Thunder have benefited from a startlingly easy schedule to open up the year, but there’s no reason to think they won’t be able to keep up a pace at least somewhat comparable to this as the season progresses.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Austin Rivers makes bold ‘biggest star’ claim on Thunder’s SGA

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/milwaukee-bucks/bucks-news-doc-rivers-teases-austin-cavaliers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Bucks HC Doc Rivers’ hilarious take on Austin Rivers’ presence in Cavaliers game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Doc-Rivers-hilarious-take-on-Austin-Rivers.jpg"><figcaption>David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Bucks HC Doc Rivers’ hilarious take on Austin Rivers’ presence in Cavaliers game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-11-18T02:27:05-08:00">November 18th, 2:27am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-11-18T02:27:05-08:00">November 18th, 2:27am</time><address><a>Yasmin Edañol</a>Yasmin D.G. Edañol is a PhD candidate in Chemistry at the University of the Philippines Diliman, with a background in scientific research and publishing. He brings a data-driven perspective to sports storytelling as an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints, with a focus on the NBA. Whether it's breaking down a clutch play or a stat line, he believes every great moment has a deeper layer waiting to be uncovered.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Milwaukee Bucks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>ESPN analyst <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-why-lebron-james-left-off-austin-rivers-best-scorers-ever-list">Austin Rivers walked into the Cleveland Cavaliers arena expecting a routine night</a> on the broadcast. He didn’t get one. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/milwaukee-bucks/is-giannis-antetokounmpo-playing-tonight-bucks-cavs-injury-report">Milwaukee Bucks were warming up, Doc Rivers was locked into prep</a>, and Austin simply planned to do his job. But once he approached his dad for the pregame interview, the entire tone shifted. Their history, their timing, and the unmistakable father-and-son chemistry between Doc and Austin Rivers turned a simple courtside hit into a comedy bit the NBA didn’t see coming.</p><p>Austin started by mentioning the Bucks’ 8-6 record. Doc gave him a <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1990572460953973213" rel="noopener">slow stare</a>. “Doc? That’s my name?” he fired back, catching Austin off guard. Austin pushed on, asking if Doc was excited about him hanging around the Bucks’ huddles during the Cavaliers matchup. Doc didn’t hesitate. “You’ve hovered around me my whole life, so this part will be easy.” The line landed instantly. Even the people standing nearby broke into laughs.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Austin Rivers: "Doc, you guys are 8-6 on the year—"</p><p>Doc Rivers: "Doc? That's my name?"</p><p>AR: "Tonight. … Are you excited about me tonight kinda hovering around your huddles?"</p><p>DR: "You've hovered around me my whole life, so this part will be easy." 😂<a href="https://t.co/LmeEJ0en6T">pic.twitter.com/LmeEJ0en6T</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1990572460953973213?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2>A Light Moment for the Bucks in the Middle of a Long NBA Season</h2><p>When the cameras returned later in the broadcast, the tone was the same. Austin tried to stay professional. Doc tried to play it straight. Neither succeeded. Doc leaned toward him and joked, “I’m hoping. Don’t say anything that you shouldn’t say.” Austin cracked again, and the sideline crew couldn’t hide their amusement.</p><p>Moments like this hit differently because they feel natural. Doc is pushing the Bucks through an uneven but promising stretch. Austin is building his rhythm as a media voice. And here they were, courtside in Cleveland, sharing a moment that wasn’t planned, rehearsed, or scripted. Just a father teasing his son on live television, the way he probably has his whole life.</p><p>And after a night like that, fans are left wondering: when will the next Rivers family moment steal the show again?</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Bucks HC Doc Rivers’ hilarious take on Austin Rivers’ presence in Cavaliers game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-why-lebron-james-left-off-austin-rivers-best-scorers-ever-list');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why LeBron James is left off Austin Rivers’ best NBA scorers ever list');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Why-LeBron-James-is-left-off-Austin-Rivers-best-scorers-ever-list.jpg"><figcaption>© Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why LeBron James is left off Austin Rivers’ best NBA scorers ever list</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-08-14T08:44:31-07:00">August 14th, 8:44am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-08-14T08:44:31-07:00">August 14th, 8:44am</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Lakers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>LeBron James is the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-eye-opening-breakdown-of-lebron-james-40000-points-proves-hes-the-most-consistent-player-ever">all-time leading scorer in NBA history</a>, but Austin Rivers maintains that James isn’t even close to being one of the ‘best’.</p><p>Rivers, who played more than a decade against James in the league, said recently that there is a relatively long list of players that he would consider to be superior to James in the art of scoring.</p><p>“LeBron’s number one (on the all-time scoring list), but his game doesn’t match a prototypical scorer. It’s also not sexy. LeBron’s game is built on force, sheer will, dedication his mind, his IQ, the way he’s able to dissect and control the game. Power above anything else. He wills himself to the basket,” Rivers <a href="https://twitter.com/Fullcourtpass/status/1955715885852692675" rel="noopener">said on the</a> ‘Off Guard’ podcast. Now, as he’s gotten older, he’s — again, you gotta give the guy credit — he’s become a better and better and better jump shooter. It’s crazy, he’s going to retire, probably, being the best jump shooter he’s ever been. What you gotta give credit to his work ethic. You don’t do that by not getting in the lab. But his game has never been a sexy scorer. When you think of that, you think of the fadeaway, you think of the post up, you think of, you know, mid range for one, being able to get to a spot on the floor for a game winner.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Austin Rivers on scoring in the NBA</p><p>"LeBron James doesn’t have half the offensive bag that Kevin [Durant] has…I would say Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, James Harden, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and Allen Iverson are the best scorers I’ve ever seen"<a href="https://t.co/SqiXOXitjG">pic.twitter.com/SqiXOXitjG</a></p><p>— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) <a href="https://twitter.com/Fullcourtpass/status/1955715885852692675?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Rivers named James Harden and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-news-kevin-durant-lebron-james-joke-about-evolution-of-the-league">Kevin Durant as</a> players with the “aesthetic” and go-to moves that can enable them to score. Durant, in particular, drew praise from Rivers, who said he had double the “offensive bag” as James and can score in a broader “variety of ways” than the man who has scored more than 42,000 regular-season points.</p><p>The observation, while potentially controversial because of James’ accolades and popularity, is not a new one. Early in his career, James’ mediocre-to-poor midrange shooting was explicitly exploited by opposing teams, most notably the San Antonio Spurs in the 2007 NBA Finals. James has even admitted he needed to improve in the midrange, as well as on the block, to help his teams win. And more recently, he has become a strong 3-point shooter, which has only aided him in his fight against Father Time.</p><p>James, 40, is the oldest active player in the NBA and will become the first person in league history to play a 23rd season when he takes the floor this fall.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why LeBron James is left off Austin Rivers’ best NBA scorers ever list

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mavs-news-austin-rivers-4-minute-rant-luka-doncic-anthony-davis-lakers-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Austin Rivers’ 4-minute rant on Mavs Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis Lakers trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Mavs-news-Austin-Rivers-goes-on-4-minute-rant-after-Luka-Doncic-Anthony-Davis-Lakers-trade.jpg"></figure><h1>Austin Rivers’ 4-minute rant on Mavs Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis Lakers trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-03T16:30:18-08:00">February 3rd, 4:30pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-03T16:30:18-08:00">February 3rd, 4:30pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>NBA analyst and former player Austin Rivers went on a four-minute rant about the Dallas Mavericks trading superstar <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba-rumors-luka-doncic-concerns-led-mavericks-anthony-davis-trade">Luka Doncic for Los Angeles All-Star Anthony Davis</a>. After one of the most shocking trades in recent NBA history, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mavericks-news-kyrie-irving-all-star-snub-dallas-fans">Rivers sided with upset Mavs fans over losing Doncic</a> in an animated video on social media.</p><p>Rivers <a href="https://twitter.com/AustinRivers25/status/1886084629913886837" rel="noopener">posted</a> his rant onto his X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>“In terms of fit, it doesn’t really make sense for both parties. But I understand why the Lakers would just dot it,” Rivers said. “Hearing the news that they didn’t even just reach out and that Dallas just reached out to them [Los Angeles] saying they would do the trade, obviously, Rob Pelinka is going to be “uh, yeah.” Even if it’s a trade that doesn’t make sense, you take a guy like Luka. You want to know why? He’s a top-five player in the NBA.</p><p>“And I don’t know if I’m doing him a service by putting him to five. Four players better than Luka, it’s hard for me to even say that.”</p><p>Rivers says former Mavs superstar Doncic is in elite company alongside Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Anteotokounmpo, Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the league’s reigning MVP, Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic.</p><p>“This is a guy who’s in the beginning stages of his prime, whereas Anthony Davis, as great of a player as he is, is in Year 13,” Rivers added. “I came in with Anthony Davis. We were drafted together here in New Orleans. Great player. Top 75 player. Hall of Famer. You book it. All of it, but where is Anthony Davis in his career right now? He’s about to be 32 in his 13th year.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Congratulations <a href="https://twitter.com/Lakers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Lakers</a> for an absolute fleece! Has potential to be one of the worst trades in NBA history!! I’m still shocked…a trade like this is not only not supposed to happen, but it damn sure it’s supposed to happen like this!!!! <a href="https://t.co/f2XjaFVlV7">pic.twitter.com/f2XjaFVlV7</a></p><p>— Austin Rivers (@AustinRivers25) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustinRivers25/status/1886084629913886837?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 2, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Austin Rivers says Luka Doncic is a top-5 NBA talent for the Lakers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Mavs-fans-supporting-Mavs-former-star-Luka-Doncic-from-outside-the-American-Airlines-Center-in-Dallas.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Despite labeling Mavericks center Anthony Davis a top-75 player of all-time status, for Austin Rivers, the price isn’t worth losing the Lakers’ newly acquired superstar Luka Doncic.</p><p>“Even when Anthony Davis was at his best, I don’t know if it’s better than what Luka is right now,” Rivers said. “Just being honest. Trading Luka is one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever seen, and what’s even worse is how it happened. You don’t trade a guy like Luka without opening up the markets.”</p><p>Rivers strengthens his point by mentioning how the Utah Jazz received four future first-round picks in exchange for Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. The Mavs received one future first-round pick packaged with Davis. Rivers predicts this trade will set the Mavericks back for years.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Austin Rivers’ 4-minute rant on Mavs Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis Lakers trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba-rumors-austin-rivers-claims-nba-owner-was-ready-give-up-better-deal-luka-doncic');   ga('set', 'title', 'NBA rumors: Austin Rivers claims NBA owner was ready to give up better deal for Luka Doncic');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/NBA-rumors-Austin-Rivers-claims-NBA-owner-was-ready-to-give-up-better-deal-for-Luka-Doncic.jpg"></figure><h1>NBA rumors: Austin Rivers claims NBA owner was ready to give up better deal for Luka Doncic</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-02-03T16:07:42-08:00">February 3rd, 4:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-02-03T16:07:42-08:00">February 3rd, 4:07pm</time><address><a>Richard Pereira</a>Richard Pereira joined ClutchPoints in January 2025 as an Associate Editor. He earned his degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2023 and has been covering the school's athletic programs since 2020, having served as a Sports Editor at the FAU University Press. He was granted the unique opportunity to report on the men's basketball team's journey to the Final Four in Houston for FAU Owls Nest during March Madness, consistently striving to grow as a sports journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Dallas Mavericks</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/luka-doncic-anthony-davis-nba-trade-deadline-intel-siegels-scoop">Luka Doncic is officially a Los Angeles Laker</a> after the Dallas Mavericks traded him there on Saturday night. However, another team could have been in the mix for his services, according to former NBA player Austin Rivers.</p><p>Rivers uploaded an episode of his <i>Off Guard with Austin Rivers</i> podcast on Monday, reacting to the trade that transpired between the Lakers and Mavericks. He revealed he spoke to someone close to an owner of an NBA team, claiming <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/why-luka-to-l-a-makes-no-sense-and-immediate/id1711438444?i=1000688411909" rel="noopener">they would have given a lot</a> to acquire Doncic knowing what he was traded for.</p><p>“I don’t want to say who but I talked to someone who is close with an owner of an NBA team. They talked earlier today and this owner of a certain NBA program who has stars on their team, literally was like, ‘good God, I wish I would’ve known because I would’ve gave him,'” Rivers said at the 22:01 mark.</p><p>“And when I tell you the names, I can’t tell you them but the package, they talk about 2, 3 picks, a couple young guys and a bonafide star for Luka. Instead they got AD, Max Christie, and one pick.”</p><p>Rivers played 11 years in the league from 2012 to 2023, being a journeyman as he played for seven teams. He notably represented the Los Angeles Clippers for four seasons, averaging 11.1 points per game after 243 appearances.</p><h2><b>What’s next for Luka Doncic after trade</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Luka-Doncic_c4b85f.jpg"><figcaption>Jerome Miron-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It remains a mystery to which owner of the NBA team Austin Rivers was referring to that would have made the attempt to pursue Luka Doncic.</p><p>The Milwaukee Bucks could be the team in question, who has Rivers’ father Doc Rivers as their head coach, on top of having multiple picks. The Orlando Magic, Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves could be in the conversation as well, having young stars among assets to deal for Doncic.</p><p>However, the ship has sailed as Doncic now resides in Los Angeles. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sources-how-lakers-plan-build-contender-lebron-james-luka-doncic">He teams up with LeBron James</a> as he’s positioned to handle the reins alongside his new co-star to put the Lakers back in title contention for the long term.</p><p>Doncic awaits his official debut as a Laker, currently recovering from a calf injury as he looks to return before the All-Star break. Until then, the Lakers will face the Clippers on Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2022-23 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
4.9	1.6	1.4	0.1	0.5

2022-23 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
4.9	1.6	1.4	0.1	0.5

Austin Rivers

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NBA rumors: Austin Rivers claims NBA owner was ready to give up better deal for Luka Doncic

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