Matt Barnes Takes New Shot at Doc Rivers From Clippers Tenure

The Los Angeles Clippers had one of the most exciting eras in the NBA that started when Chris Paul came to town. In 2011, Paul was traded to the Clippers, joining high flyers Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan to form Lob City.

Despite being a must-watch TV during that time, the Clippers failed to live up to expectations. They had some loaded rosters but Doc Rivers couldn't get them over the hump.

Matt Barnes, who played for the Clippers from 2012-15, expressed the team didn't win a championship due to Rivers.

Clippers News: Matt Barnes Takes A Shot at Doc Rivers

Barnes and Jamal Crawford were discussing why the Clippers didn't win a championship. Joe Johnson commented on the post saying the Utah Jazz broke that team up but Barnes disagreed and responded.

He said, "Nah Doc broke that (expletive) up when he paid his son that money. He lost the team after that."

Doc Rivers, who was the head coach and the president of basketball operations, gave his son Austin a three-year, $35 million deal in the summer of 2016. In 67 games in the 2015-16 season, Rivers averaged 8.9 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game.

Barnes revealed that the move cost Doc the locker room and things went left after that. Paul ended up getting traded to the Houston Rockets in 2017, citing it was 'time for a change'.

That signing also closed the door on the Clippers having any chance to sign Kevin Durant, who was slated to be a free agent that summer.

At that point, Austin wasn't a game-changer in the backcourt. The Clippers could have used that money elsewhere to improve the roster but instead, it looked like Doc wanted to pay his son and keep him around. That deal made it seem that Doc was playing favorites with his son, which didn't sit well inside the locker room.

Even though the Lob City era ended seven years ago, there is still news coming out about that group and Doc continues to catch heat.

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