With Anthony Davis’ Lakers in town to take on the Bulls on Tuesday, he was asked the typical Chicago-related questions.
He gave a vague answer regarding free agency and if he would sign with the Bulls. He also said Chicago is the Mecca of basketball. Davis has said this before.
Now another notable NBA figure went on record agreeing with Davis. Clippers coach Doc Rivers emphatically said Chicago is the Mecca of basketball.
“Yeah, he’s right,” Rivers said when asked about Davis’ comment. “It’s not even a question. No, I really believe that.”
Like Davis, Rivers is a Chicago product so of course there’s some bias involved. Rivers was a high school all-American at suburban Proviso East around the time of Isiah Thomas and other Chicago basketball legends.
NBA
“The Mecca of basketball is absolutely Chicago players,” Rivers said. “New York gets all the rub, which I don’t get, but Chicago, it’s not even close. It’s not close.”
Davis kicked off a stretch where three Chicago products were top three NBA draft picks in a four-year period. Davis was the top pick in 2012, Jabari Parker went No. 2 in 2014 and Jahlil Okafor was picked third in 2015. Throw in other current NBA players Derrick Rose, Patrick Beverley and standout rookie Kendrick Nunn and the argument starts to make sense.
“You play against everybody,” Rivers said. “I mean, how many kids can say, unless you grew up in Chicago, you can have a pickup game out on the park with Isiah Thomas, Terry Cummings, Maurice Cheeks, Mark Aguirre, Darrell Walker. There’s not a lot of pickup games like that in your same grade. That’s every year. That’s called Chicago basketball.”
Rivers is sure to get some bonus points from his Chicago friends for this stance.
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