More Than Just Doc’s Son
High school standout Austin Rivers, son of former NBA All-Star and now NBA-Champion head coach with the Boston Celtics Doc Rivers, appears ready to take some of the spotlight for himself as one of the top-ranked recruits in the country.
Growing up with a dad like Doc Rivers, Austin was always attached with the stigma of being an NBA player’s son; something he didn’t exactly relish.
"Some kids might like being famous because of their father," Rivers said. "Personally, not me. I like having my own fame. I like to work on my own status… Growing up everybody said, ‘Hey, that’s Doc’s kid.’ Now, I’m my own man. From my hard work, they know me as Austin.
"So I’m just going to keep working and maybe one day they’ll call him Austin Rivers’ dad," Rivers said with a smirk.
On the court, at the 10th annual Jordan Brand Classic Saturday night, the combo-guard out of Winter Park High School in Florida scored 16 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished out four assists and swiped four steals in a solid all-around effort. While his shooting touch was lacking in going just 4-15 from the field, Rivers showed the instincts, smarts and athletic ability making him a top collegiate prospect.
Rivers, who will be headed to Duke University this fall to play for the Blue Devils, feels like he accomplished everything he’s set his sights on thus far.
"I did everything that I set my goals to," Rivers said. "I wanted to be player of the year, I got that… I wanted to win a state championship, I won two."
Next on the agenda for Rivers will be summer school at Duke University along with playing summer basketball with the team. For the first time in school history, Duke will be featured overseas as Austin and the team will travel to Kunshan, China — the site of a future Duke-affiliated campus that is scheduled to open in 2012.
Even though Duke point guard Kyrie Irving will be leaving the team to enter the 2011 NBA Draft, Rivers doesn’t believe the team’s expectations for him will change much.
"I don’t think it affects me with him there or not," Rivers said. "I think with him there I’d have the same role as if he wasn’t there. I’m still going to be a scorer and a playmaker… The difference is there’s a little bit more of a responsibility [for me] if he’s gone. It’s a huge loss.
"[But] they have great pieces [at Duke]… so I think we have a great chance."
Even though Rivers seems confident in his skill-set on the court, he knows there is still much work to be done before he’s a complete player. This message was reinforced to him by none other than Michael Jordan, who encouraged all of the young players at his event to not get complacent at any point in their career.
"Everything can always get better," Rivers said. "Like Michael Jordan told us before the game, he said, ‘Always get better, always just keep working.’ Hearing it from him just shows you that you can always get better with everything."
If Rivers has the same hard-working mentality that his father Doc exuded on the court for 13 NBA seasons and now on the sidelines for 12 and counting, the sky’s the limit for this abundantly talented young player.
Jordan Brand Classic Showcases Premiere Talent
Over the years, the Jordan Brand Classic has showcased some of the top high school basketball players in the country. The game has showcased a future NBA MVP in LeBron James, along with a countless number of future NBA All-Stars such as Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and Amar’e Stoudemire.
This year was no different in terms of star quality, boasting 11 of top 12 rated ESPN prospects (including the top eight overall) all playing in Saturday night’s event.
On the floor, the East All-Americans took down the West All-Americans 113-109 in a sloppy, but highlight-laden contest. James McAdoo, nephew of former NBA-great Bob McAdoo and the fifth-ranked recruit according to ESPN, was named the MVP for the East squad after scoring 26 points (19 in the second half) on 10-16 shooting and pulling down 14 rebounds in showcasing some nice offensive moves both inside and on the perimeter.
{AUTHOR_BOX}"Just to get the win and walk away with the MVP wasn’t something I came in trying to do," McAdoo said. "I was just coming in trying to have fun… This was the best way to go out."
The 6’8 power forward from Norfolk Christian High School in Virginia will be attending the University of North Carolina in the fall and McAdoo believes he will integrate into UNC’s system seamlessly.
"I see myself fitting in very well," McAdoo said. "That’s why I chose [UNC] because I think that’s the best fit for me. With [Jonn] Henson and [Tyler] Zeller coming back I think that’s just going to help me more. Playing behind two great basketball players everyday in practice is just going to allow me to get better and get more experience. I just have to go in there and prove myself and earn their respect, but I think that’s going to help me in the long run."
For the West team, number one overall recruit Anthony Davis was named team-MVP in an extremely efficient effort. The 6’10 power forward out of Perspectives Charter School in Illinois missed just two of the 15 shots he attempted, leading all scorers with 29 points (20 in the second half) to go along with 11 boards and four rejections.
This fall, Davis will be heading to the University of Kentucky along with fellow standouts playing in the Jordan Brand Classic: forwards Michael Gilchrist and Kyle Wiltjer along with point guard Marquis Teague. Each of these players are among the top 20 best recruits in the nation, with Gilchrist and Davis both in the top three according to ESPN.com.
Davis described his experience getting some time on the court with his future teammates after the game.
"It was great. Especially playing with Kyle [Wiltjer] since the McDonalds All-American game. It’s been great playing with them and Marquis [Teague] really likes to get up and down the floor and throw alley-oops, which is a plus for me and a plus for him getting his assists. Then Mike [Gilchrist], he gets out there on both ends. He’s a tough kid, and he can put the ball in the basket so we all have kind of bonded over the past few All-American games and it’s going to be great next year.
"We just can’t wait to get down there."
I’m sure the University of Kentucky and its fans are excited as well about the prospect of these five-star prospects leading the Wildcats to another Final Four next spring.
Follow Derek Page on Twitter for all of your basketball needs.
Loading ...
