NBA Q&A: Austin Rivers

Courtesy of Jodie Valade

Q: I heard you were named for former Cavaliers great Austin Carr. Is that true, and what's your relationship like with him?

A: I actually just got to meet him for the first time ever. I went out before the game, shook his hand. I wanted to introduce myself just to put a face to his name . . . well, I already knew what he looked like. Just to get to meet the guy I was named after. My dad used to tell me stories about him at Notre Dame and all the great stuff he was able to do. So just to go out there and meet him was an honor. It was exciting for me.

Q: I also heard that you were a big Kobe Bryant fan while growing up. How did you manage that when your dad, Doc Rivers, was coaching the Boston Celtics?

A: I always wanted my dad to succeed most. So the best-case scenario for me would be if Kobe scored 50 and the Celtics won.

Q: What kind of pressure did you face growing up as the son of a famous NBA player?

A: I think different kids handle it differently. There's been many cases of players of dads who have done well in the league, who have handled it well and not well. I think it's all about your mind-set and what you want to make of it. I looked at it with my dad as an opportunity. I got to be firsthand with some guys who were some of the greatest players in the league. With that, I did take advantage of it. I didn't let that slide. I asked questions, picked their brain, got better. I just had fun with that, I didn't let that stuff get in my head.

Q: What's something we don't know about Doc Rivers?

A: My dad was my dad. I know the real Doc. Not the person that people see. He's a normal guy, he just had a great job and he's good at it. It's one of those things where that's how I looked at it, I didn't really care what people thought, I just went out there and did what I loved. And I actually loved basketball. I think even if my dad wasn't a coach, I'd still play basketball because that's what I was born to do.

Q: How did you handle the scrutiny and expectations when you were growing up playing the same sport your dad was so good at?

A: It wasn't that bad. My older brother went through it right before I did. My sister went through it. My little brother has it the worst, if you talk about pressure, just because I'm here now. Now, they have to say stuff about my father and about me. It's really tough on him. I just tell him not to worry about it, and he does a great job with it as well. As scrutinized as I am, there's players like LeBron and Kobe who are at a whole other level. You see them handle it, so I know I can. That's how you have to look at it.