Austin Rivers has certainly had an eventful career in the game of basketball. He’s experienced a full career arc from the time he started playing the sport as a little kid, to the NBA veteran he has become. Everyone was trained to key an eye on his progress, considering that he is the son of former NBA point guard and current NBA coach Doc Rivers. Austin Rivers had a lot of expectations growing up, and did not wilt under the pressure. He was one of the most talented recruits in the United States, and big time basketball schools were in hot pursuit.
When he reached his dream of making the NBA, Rivers was drafted as a difference making backcourt player. That would turn out to be a reality that he would never achieve, but it did not doom his future NBA outlook. He would play integral roles on playoff teams that would require him to contribute in high profile situations. For a few years, he was a fixture in the postseason on Western Conference contenders.
Austin Rivers has since settled in as a reliable depth piece for NBA teams, who they know they can turn to in a pinch if they need someone to play quality minutes.
Austin Rivers – Childhood
Austin James Rivers’ story begins on August 1, 1992 in Santa Monica, California. He is of course, the son of Doc Rivers and his mother Kristen. Austin Rivers’ birthplace is notable because Southern California is where Doc was currently playing his basketball, for the Los Angeles Clippers. Ironically, Doc would get traded to the New York Knicks about a month and a half after Austin was born.
Basketball was in Austin’s blood from day one, and there wasn’t anything else in the world he wanted to do as a young boy. But Austin admitted that it was difficult carrying the name of a longstanding, well respected NBA player. A lot of people would have many opinions that would discredit or discourage Austin while he was growing up.
When he was very young, he was apparently not very good at the game, and people would wonder how the offspring of an NBA player could be that ineffective. When he would improve throughout his middle school career and beyond, some stated that he only got the chance to succeed because of who his father was. It took some time for Rivers to not let this type of rhetoric bother him, but it was a challenging part of his upbringing.
While it would seem intuitive to think that Doc Rivers spent a lot of time coaching up his son on how to get ahead in the youth circuit, that was not the reality. Doc had a short period between when he retired as a player from the NBA and eventually got into coaching, but besides that, he has pretty much been continuously employed with the league. Due to the nature of his jobs, he has not always been present in person to show Austin the ropes, and a lot of the drills and practicing Austin would do would be through other people in organized settings.
Austin Rivers – High School
Austin Rivers would end up spending the majority of his childhood in Florida, because Doc Rivers’ first coaching job came with the Orlando Magic. He would start his much anticipated career at the next level with Winter Park High School. Seemingly from day one, Rivers’ offensive talent would be on display, as he started on the varsity even as a freshman.
In his four seasons with Winter Park, he would finish with averages of nearly 23 points per game, four rebounds, nearly two assists and two steals. He would have one of the strongest wire to wire careers of any prospect in a long time, as his ability to get into the lane and score was something to behold.
Austin Rivers’ personal accolades during his high school career are seemingly endless. He was named the 2011 Gatorade Florida Player Of The Year, and was named to the all-state team three times. He was also making a name for himself on the national and international circuit, as he was a star on the USA Under 18 National Team. He set a single-game record by scoring 35 points in a victory over Canada. He was on the gold medal winning team at the 2010 FIBA Americas Under 18 Championship.
From a team perspective back home, Winter Park was also flourishing. During Rivers’ sophomore year, they finished third in the Florida Class 6A Tournament, and would take it up a notch in the years to follow. Rivers led Winter Park to back to back totals as a junior and senior.
TweetAustin Rivers – College
After one of the most accomplished careers in high school basketball history, Austin Rivers would truly have his pick of schools from which to choose from for college. ESPN’s top 100 rankings for the high school class of 2011 slotted Rivers in as third in the country, behind only Anthony Davis and Andre Drummond. The Florida prodigy was ranked ahead of St. Louis, Missouri high school star Bradley Beal.
Rivers would end up taking his talents to Duke University, to join a loaded roster already full of future NBA talent such as Seth Curry, Mason Plumlee and Quinn Cook. Before their non-conference schedule began in November, the Blue Devils faced off against grown men in some international scrimmages. They would hold up just fine, and Rivers would play well in three games against the men’s Chinese national team. He would also play well against the Dubai national team, and had a big second quarter performance in that contest.
Rivers would demonstrate his ability to score as conference play got underway. It didn’t always come as easy as it did in high school, and the guard had other capable teammates who could take over offensively as well. Despite some bumps in the road during the season, the Blue Devils had an excellent regular season, and finished 13-3 in the ACC.
The most memorable highlight of Rivers’ season that year was a masterful performance against rival University of North Carolina. Duke was down two on the road with time winding down in the game. The ball was in Rivers’ hands, who had Tar Heels big man Tyler Zeller isolated on the perimeter. He pulled up for three to go for the win, and sank the shot. Doc Rivers was in attendance and Rivers’ teammates jumped on him in elation after the victory. This was the type of college career Rivers had envisioned.
Duke was well positioned to go on a deep run in the NCAA Tournament with such a plethora of talent. They were the number two seed in the South region, and were matched up against 15th seeded Lehigh. Historically, the games between those seeds is usually not very competitive, but the Duke Blue Devils were shocked by a C.J. McCollum led Lehigh team. That would be the final game played in Duke’s season, and that is how Rivers’ college career ended.
Austin Rivers – New Orleans Hornets/New Orleans Pelicans
With his ability to get by his man off the dribble, while also converting on tough shots, Austin Rivers seemed to profile as a valuable scorer at worst in the NBA. Most teams picking in the lottery in the 2012 NBA Draft could find a place for Rivers’ projected firepower.
He would end up falling to the 10th selection, and would be picked by the New Orleans Hornets. It appeared to be a good move at the time, because the team had transitioned away from the Chris Paul and David West years. They needed a new identity, and having someone with such a promising basketball resume seemed like the perfect way to usher in a new era.
For whatever reason, things just did not work out for Austin Rivers in New Orleans. Head coach Monty Williams did not appear to like what he saw from the 10th overall pick, and never played him more than 23 minutes a game. Williams also refrained from putting Rivers in the starting lineup most nights, as the former Blue Devil would only end up starting 20% of his career games in New Orleans.
The team drafted Anthony Davis with the first overall pick in the very same draft, and were getting immediate return on their investment. The situation Rivers was starting to get uncomfortable for Rivers, and he would often contact his father to ask how he should handle it. Doc advised him not to get down on his ability, and to remember that he got this far for a reason. It was helpful advice for Austin, who was in a fragile state at that time.
Austin Rivers – Los Angeles Clippers
There were many signs that pointed to Rivers’ eventual departure from New Orleans. During the first half of his third season, his minutes were all over the map, and it was clear the organization did not see him as part of the future.
In January 2015, the re-named New Orleans Pelicans orchestrated a three team trade that would send Rivers to the Boston Celtics. It was an interesting destination, considering that was where his father had his greatest professional success as a coach.
However, things would change quickly for Rivers once again. Three days later, he was once again part of a three team trade, and would be packing his bags to play for the Los Angeles Clippers. That just so happened to be where Doc was currently coaching. This would be the first time in NBA history that a son would play for his father.
As both Doc and Austin would later admit, the 2014-2015 Clippers locker room was not the easiest place to be, and joining the team in midseason was a challenge. It was a roster that was ready to win immediately, headlined by Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Jamal Crawford, among others. This would not be a destination that Austin Rivers would see big minutes. He would just need to come in to provide a spark for a franchise that had big dreams.
His role was pretty simple; to be aggressive when he was in the game. If his shot was falling, he would continue to remain on the floor. If it wasn’t, his father would take him out. Austin Rivers got to learn from experienced veterans that year, which helped him develop more than he previously was in New Orleans. He scored 25 points in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Houston Rockets. Los Angeles had a 3-1 lead in the series, but ended up falling in seven games.
Los Angeles would end up re-signing Austin Rivers, which some players around the league found a little suspicious. His career had been very ordinary to that point, and him signing a multiyear deal seemed to point to some nepotism on his father’s part.
To his credit though, Rivers continued to work on his game, and had actually become a valuable member of the rotation for the Clippers. Knowing that he would get open looks on the perimeter thanks to the attention paid to his All-Star teammates, he became a more reliable three point shooter. However, the Clippers were not able to make it out of the first round of the playoffs in the subsequent years to come.
Statistically, Rivers would have a career season in 2017-2018, averaging 15 points per game while shooting nearly 38 percent from three point range. The Clippers had moved away from Chris Paul before that season, opening up more opportunity for other players, but Los Angeles also missed the postseason.
Austin Rivers – Washington Wizards
With Los Angeles retooling their team and turning the page, Austin Rivers would be traded to the Washington Wizards for Marcin Gortat in the 2018 offseason.
He would end up playing in 29 games for the Wizards before they traded him to the Phoenix Suns in December 2018. The Suns would then promptly waive Rivers.
Austin Rivers – Houston Rockets
Right before Christmas, the former lottery pick would latch on with the Houston Rockets. It was a similar situation to the one Rivers had with the Clippers. Chris Paul was hungry and looking to win a title, and Rivers would slide in on the bench and provide the team with some key reserve minutes.
Rivers would spent two seasons in Houston, one with Paul, and the second with Russell Westbrook. The Rockets would not get out of the second round, but Rivers’ ability to be a part of high profile games helped rehabilitate his career.
Austin Rivers – New York Knicks
Austin Rivers would begin the 2020-2021 season with the New York Knicks, a team that his father had some good years on. He played decently when he got a chance, but head coach Tom Thibodeau wanted to entrust the backcourt to the likes of Derrick Rose and Immanuel Quickley.
Austin Rivers – Denver Nuggets
Rivers would sign with the Denver Nuggets to conclude the 2020-2021 campaign, and was with the team for the 2021-2022 season as well. Denver needed some scoring and leadership in the backcourt after star point guard Jamal Murray tore his ACL late in the 2021 season.
Austin Rivers – NBA Future
During the summer of 2022, Austin Rivers signed a one year deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves. He is an interesting fit for a team that appears to be on the rise, and he should be able to carve out a role that was vacated by Patrick Beverley in the Rudy Gobert trade.
How many teams has Austin Rivers played for?
Austin Rivers has played on several teams in his NBA career. He was drafted by the New Orleans Hornets, who would become the New Orleans Pelicans a year later. He would then play for the Los Angeles Clippers, where the head coach was his father, Doc Rivers.
Austin Rivers’ career was revitalized with the Clippers, as he played an important role off the bench for a perennial playoff team. He has also played for the Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets. When the 2022-2023 season, he will suit up for yet another team, the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Who is Austin Rivers related to?
Austin Rivers certainly has a lot of NBA family ties. For starters, his father is Doc Rivers, who had a well respected NBA career of his own as a smart and gritty point guard. Younger fans will know Doc as a coach of some impressive teams, like the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers.
Austin Rivers also has familial ties to Seth Curry, currently a guard on the Brooklyn Nets. Rivers’ sister Callie is married to Seth Curry, making Austin his brother in law. Stephen Curry would also be considered a brother in law for Austin Rivers as well.
Is Austin Rivers a starter?
At this point of his career, it is probably safe to say that Austin Rivers is not a full time starter in the NBA. He hasn’t come close to serving in that role since 2017-2018 with the Los Angeles Clippers. With that said, if the Minnesota Timberwolves experience injuries to their backcourt, it is possible that head coach Chris Finch will call upon Rivers to start the game. Last season with the Denver Nuggets, Rivers was on the roster as insurance since star guard Jamal Murray was recovering from an ACL injury. Austin Rivers started 18 games for Denver last year.
Does Austin Rivers have a wife?
No, Austin Rivers is not currently married. However, in August of 2021 he proposed to Audreyana Michelle, an American model. They also welcomed their first child together, Reign. Rivers also has another son, Kayden, from a previous relationship.
