Jason Kidd finally put some spice into the rivalry between the Knicks and Nets and the coach of the Celtics couldn’t be happier.
“I thought it was great,” Doc Rivers said of the give-and-take that resulted from Kidd calling the Knicks “just another bad team” after the teams played last week.
Several Knicks responded that they thought the Nets’ point guard was out of line.
“I thought it was comical. I enjoyed it because I’m not involved. I love it when two teams go at it like that,” said Rivers.
It’s the kind of thing that used to happen much more frequently in the NBA, and Rivers was pleased to see it resurface. He showed some emotion of his own when he got tossed less than two minutes into the Nets’ 99-86 win over the Celtics at the Meadowlands for arguing an offensive foul call on Antoine Walker.
The bad blood between the two local teams is something Rivers said he would like to see more of in a league that has become significantly duller since his playing days. He thinks the bitterness will help the game.
“It’s uncharacteristic of Jason, but it is heated,” Rivers said. “They don’t like each other and it’s about time. I just hope more teams become that way. I think it’s great. When two teams don’t like each other, the games tend to be better games.”
The former point guard isn’t too surprised in how the rejuvenation of the feud came about.
“I think they should hate each other,” Rivers said. “The Knicks get all the ink and Jersey is putting up the numbers.”
And he blamed his former team for stirring it up.
“To the victors go the spoils,” Rivers said. “That’s how I’ve always looked at it. When you’re the winner – I believe this – you can say whatever the hell you want to say because you have numbers to back it up. When you’re the loser, you really shouldn’t have anything to say.”
He used himself as an example.
“I’ve always thought that, otherwise I would have been talking for years about Chicago when I was with the Knicks,” Rivers said. “You never heard a peep out of me because we lost. I just think if you’re the winner you can say what you want. You’ve earned it.”
Which is something the Knicks haven’t done in quite a while. Rivers singled out Stephon Marbury for calling himself the league’s best point guard earlier in the year as one of the reasons that Kidd might have taken the shots he did.
“[Kidd] is one of, if not the best point guard himself,” Rivers said. “The reason he’s one of the best is because he’s competitive. I wish Steph hadn’t said that, honestly. I like Steph a lot. I don’t think he needs to say it. Let us say it. Let you guys say it.”
