"He Squared Up with Doc Rivers": Paul Pierce Recalls Heated Moment When Rajon Rondo and Ex-Celtics Coach Came to Near Blows

(031407 Boston, MA) Boston Celtics Vs Atlanta Hawks at the Garden. Boston Celtic Captain Paul Pierce celebrates with Boston Celtic Head Coach Doc Rivers after Boston Celtic Guard Rojon Rondo makes a three point shot at the buzzer in the 2nd quarter - Source: Getty
Paul Pierce Recalls Heated Moment When Rajon Rondo and Doc Rivers Came to Near Blows - Image Source: Getty

Hall of Famer Paul Pierce took a trip down memory lane and recalled moments from his Boston Celtics days under Doc Rivers when asked about his favorite story involving former teammate Rajon Rondo.

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In a preview clip of the upcoming “No Fouls Given” episode posted Thursday night, Pierce and co-host Danny Green were asked to share their favorite Rondo stories. Pierce recounted the time when Rondo and Rivers nearly came to blows.

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Rivers coached the Celtics for nine seasons, from 2004 to 2013, with Rondo playing under him for nearly his entire tenure after being drafted in 2006.

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“Let me see… my favorite story with Rondo? Man, probably when he squared up with Doc,” Pierce said. “We had a fiery team — everybody was squaring up. But he squared up with Doc one day.
“Man, it was just something Doc got on him about, and I don’t know — I think it was either a game or the playoffs. They squared up, and we kinda looked like, ‘Hold on… are they about to squabble?’
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Pierce clarified that the altercation never escalated but admitted there were several tense moments within that locker room. Despite that, the Celtics managed to form a championship-winning squad in 2008, defeating the LA Lakers in six games.

In that Finals series, Pierce averaged 21.8 points, 6.3 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game, while Rondo contributed 9.3 ppg, 6.7 apg and 3.8 rpg.

NBA analyst calls Doc Rivers ‘best coach’ so far in 2025-26 season

The Milwaukee Bucks raised eyebrows this offseason after their bold decision to waive and stretch Damian Lillard’s contract. Yet as the 2025-26 campaign unfolds, they’ve emerged as one of the league’s top teams, sitting at 4-1 for the third-best record in the Eastern Conference.

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On Thursday night, even without Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks pummeled the Golden State Warriors 120-110. Former Warrior Ryan Rollins exploded for a career-high 32 points and eight assists, while every Bucks starter and three bench players scored in double digits.

With Milwaukee’s strong start, NBA insider Sam Vecenie praised Doc Rivers’ leadership, saying he believes the veteran coach has been the league’s best so far this season.

“I kinda think Doc Rivers has been if not the best coach in the NBA so far this season through two weeks with how he's organized his team and gotten the most out of his roster, certainly within top group,” he said.
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The Bucks next face the struggling Sacramento Kings on Saturday.

Boston Celtics Nation! You can check out the latest Boston Celtics Schedule and dive into the Celtics Depth Chart for NBA Season 2024-25.

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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro
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