Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers (Photo : Photo: Reuters)
"You need luck in the West. Look at Golden State. They didn't have to play us or the Spurs."
That statement from Doc Rivers to Grantland, seemingly, rubbed the Warriors the wrong way; establishing another storyline in this fancied inter-conference matchup.
"I'm really surprised how sensitive they are about it. They are the champions, so they can just be champions," Rivers shared.
Los Angeles Clippers head coach, Doc Rivers, was always in his usual self and didn't bite his tongue when asked by reporters about his thoughts on the Golden State Warriors.
Whether in the regular or the postseason, the two Western Conference teams have been going at it on the hard court for a good number of years now, thus, establishing a legitimate NBA rivalry.
Apparently, this hatred has continuously spilled over outside the basketball court and onto the sidelines.
Warriors shooting guard, Klay Thompson, summed up his feelings regarding the issue.
"I don't want to talk about Doc," Thompson said referring to the Clippers' coach. "I'm sick of talking about that dude. Sorry, man."
On the other hand, his teammate, Andrew Bogut, isn't the one who takes things lightly and has perpetually been vocal about his opinions concerning his team.
"Most of the comments made by us were tongue in cheek - just joking around," Bogut wrote on his NBA Australia blog. "We didn't take it too seriously; it's just interesting hearing it from a team that hasn't been there."
To his defense, Rivers already won an NBA Championship back in 2008 when he was coaching the Boston Celtics.
"I was on that side before," Rivers retorted. "And you can almost say what you want. So you have the right to say whatever you feel like saying."
He continued: "To the victors go the spoils. They can talk trash. They can talk. They can walk with a swagger. They can do whatever they want. They're the champs."
The Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors will give basketball fans a little taste of their modern-era rivalry as they square off in a preseason game Tuesday.
Klay Thompson summarized best what people should expect in the said game.
"When you step between those lines, I don't think anyone really remembers what he or she says. It's kind of out the door. It's a healthy competitiveness and a healthy dislike for both teams. You don't want to be friends with everybody in the NBA, and I think both teams understand that."
