Austin Rivers insists that the story surrounding his NBA career is much more straightforward than the noise would suggest. Speaking on *To The Baha*, he clarified his stance, via *HoopsHype*: “I didn’t get in the league because of my dad. And I didn’t stay in the league because of my dad.”
Rivers acknowledged that his path did involve real advantages, but not the kind critics often reduce it to. “Now, do I get to be a part of a team and an opportunity with a staff that believed in me and a coach that I knew I could play freely for? Absolutely, man,” he said, explaining why he prioritized fit over flash.
For him, that fit mattered more than name recognition. “That’s why I came back. That’s why when Portland offered me 40 million, that’s why when Phil Jackson was trying to explain the goddamn Triangle offense in my living room, I didn’t go to New York,” Rivers stated.
He said his decision was about trusting a situation where he could play his game, not about relying on family ties. “I went back to LA to get that bag so I could go play for my pops and I could play freely and be myself,” Rivers added, noting that he “actually ended up doing pretty f*cking solid as a role player under Chris Paul and Jamal Crawford.”
Over 11 NBA seasons, Rivers played 707 games, starting 184 of them, and averaged 8.5 points per game. He spent time with the New Orleans Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves.
