Welcome to the Austin Rivers Monologues, coming very soon to Broadway.
The Knicks new combo guard on Wednesday went on a 16-minute spiel — much of it revolving on why players around the league should be dying to come play in New York for the Knicks.
The 28-year-old said he’s been mystified why this hasn’t been the case in recent years. Doc Rivers’ loquacious son said he plans to change that negative vibe around the Knicks, saying he wants to make the franchise “great again.’’
Rivers, 28, signed a 3-year, $10 million deaI but only the first year is guaranteed. He is hoping he’s part of the long-term solution.
“We’re caught in an era where everyone likes riding a wave,’’ Rivers said over Zoom. “People want to go to places that are already on the rise and going to franchises that are already doing really well. And people have lost interest in going somewhere and making something great again. I don’t understand someone not wanting to play for a city like New York. I just don’t get that. I don’t understand that.”
A 2012 NBA Draft lottery pick, Rivers had other options, including the Sixers where his father now coaches. But this one stood out, playing for his father’s former top assistant in Boston, Tom Thibodeau.
“The opportunity was obvious,’’ Rivers said. “In a city that is regarded as the mecca of basketball with the fans they have, why not try to be part of something special? Everything right now is headed in the right direction — from the hiring of the coach, to hiring of management and assistant coaches and the picks they drafted. We’re building to be part of something is special.”
After being with the Rockets the last two seasons, Rivers wanted a change.
“It’s easy to go somewhere where everything already is set up and they’ve been to the playoffs four, five years in a row,’’ Rivers said. “I’ve been on those teams. Those are great experiences. But I want to take those experiences and lessons and help this team and this organization as many ways as possible. That era of people not wanting to come here, our job is to change that. We have to make that attractive. And we will. We have everything else. We have the city of New York and the best fans in basketball. You play in Madison Square Garden every night. You have the style of living. You got all that. It’s our job as players – the management could only do so much. So it’s exciting. I wanted to be a part of it. Why not?’’
Rivers, who plays point and shooting guard, said he’s not sure he will start but wants to be a leader after finally being one of the elder statesmen.
“My role is going to be to help the team win,’’ Rivers said. “If they start me, great. If they don’t I’m still going to be in there competing every night. Regardless, for me it’s never been about starting the game. It’s been about finishing the game.”
He’s already excited about the Knicks first-round pick, Obi Toppin, selected No. 8.
“Obi Toppin is beyond a freak athlete, like beyond a freak athlete,’’ Rivers said. “He’s going to be really good.’’
And perhaps a selling point for free agents down the road.
“If you’re a real hooper, if you really like playing on the biggest stage, this is it,’’ he said.
Winning will help the recruitment, too.
“Are we saying we’re going to win a championship this year,’’ Rivers asked. “I don’t know. But we have to continue to build in the right direction. We don’t have four or five All-Stars on this team, we don’t have superstars on this team. But we have talented young players and you never know what can become on this team…So we got to make this attractive. We got to compete, that’s the biggest thing, that’s got to be our No. 1 advantage – we got to play harder than everybody.’’
