League: NBA Sport: Basketball Country: United States Category: Coaching

Doc Rivers joins NBC Sports as an NBA analyst after coaching career

4 sources • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 21, 2026, 7:08 PM

Last updated Sep 21, 2026

Doc Rivers joins NBC Sports as an NBA analyst after coaching career

Summary

Doc Rivers is set to join NBC Sports as an NBA game analyst next month. Rivers, who has a long career as a player and coach, turned down an earlier opportunity to join NBC after retiring as a player in 1996 due to uncertainties about his future in coaching. With more than 40 years of experience in the NBA, he is expected to bring valuable insights to the network’s coverage. NBC's NBA broadcasts will feature Rivers on platforms including NBC, Peacock, and NBCSN.

Source Links

ESPN Yahoo Sports

By the Numbers

•Rivers coached the Boston Celtics to a 2008 NBA championship.
•He has been inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
•NBC's NBA coverage resumes next month with Rivers as an analyst.
•Rivers declined an analyst role at NBC after his playing career.
•He has over 40 years of experience in the NBA.

Latest Updates

7:37 PMESPN — Doc Rivers joins NBC as analyst, says coaching career over
7:00 PMYahoo Sports — Doc Rivers returns to broadcast booth, joins NBC ahead of 2026-27 NBA season
6:23 PMYahoo Sports — Doc Rivers joins NBC Sports as NBA game analyst

What they're saying

"
Doc Rivers turned down an offer to become an NBA analyst for NBC after retiring as a player in 1996 because he couldn't promise then-NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol that he wouldn't become a coach.
— ESPN