Austin’s size and talent at the high school level made the game seem easy. Back then, he always handled the ball for his teams, and on possessions where he passed off to teammates, he often got the ball back. He could shoot himself out of any downturn. In college, Joseph, Austin’s youth coach, told his former pupil to be ready for change. “Duke is bigger than [one person] — this isn’t Austin Rivers, this is Duke University,” Joseph said. “That was a very good learning point for him, and once he caught on and started to understand it’s Coach K’s way or the highway, he started playing well.”
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Austin had led Duke in scoring, averaging 15.5 points per game, but skeptics doubted his playmaking ability. He averaged just 2.1 assists per game. “It had nothing to do with Duke why I left,” Austin said. “I left because I wanted to be in the NBA. It’s that simple.”
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Austin turned his efforts to defense, scrounging for a way into the rotation — anything to get on the court and prove his worth. “I’ve been a scorer my whole life, so you know how hard that was for me to say?” Austin said. “I was like, ‘I don’t care. I will defend.’ I started getting like 15 minutes a game just playing defense.”
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Before going through with the decision, however, he needed to consult the rest of the tight-knit Rivers clan. “To be honest, I didn’t think it was going to be the best idea in the world,” Austin’s sister, Callie, said. “I was really nervous for how it was going to look and how people were going to portray it, but then [Doc] kind of explained to me that he had the support of the team and his staff was actually pushing him to do it.” Doc’s wife, Kris, said she agreed with the move from the onset. “From a mother’s point of view,” she said, “there’s nobody I trust more than my husband with my son, in terms of making him a better player.”
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“I believe you can be the first player,” Doc continued. “That’s why I brought you here. You will only be the other way if you keep doing the [expletive] you’re doing. Stop [expletive] thinking. Just be yourself, like the guy you used to be. You used to be almost too cocky in high school and college. I want that Austin. Be that guy. Believe in yourself.”
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Austin’s veteran teammates taught him how to play freely under Doc, whose stern approach to the game sometimes conflicts with the style and flair that Clippers like Jamal Crawford — and Austin Rivers — often bring to the game. The sight of Doc shaking his head on the sideline after he watches Crawford shake and bake on the court is familiar to Clippers players and fans alike. “Coach is all over him,” Austin said. “He’ll look at the bench and just be like [shrugs his shoulders]. So when you start to think like that, it just makes the game more fun. And when you have fun, you play better. When you play better, you get your confidence. When you get your confidence back, it starts becoming consistent. That’s all it is. It’s not rocket science.”
Ball in the Family
