Projo Sports Blog

By ROBERT LEE
Journal Sports Writer

Ask any of the Celtics superstars, and they'll tell you that coach Doc Rivers is a great motivator.

He has the uncanny ability to get a team to fully believe in his coaching philosophy and his style of play.

In 2007, he got the Celtics to believe into the African mantra Ubuntu, which essentially says that the group is greater than the individual person, and that there is a need for consensus decision-making, rather than an individual looking out for his or herself interest first.

The new "Big Three" bought into that philosophy and sacrificed individual glory to win the NBA title.

On Monday, Rivers brought his teachings to the New England Patriots and talked to the team as part of the NFL-sponsored life-skills presentation.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick said it was "one of the best presentations that we have heard."

"He was awesome," Belichick said. "He talked about a lot of things that he had dealt with and experienced through his career, from not making the basketball team in the fifth grade - or whatever it was - to being an All-American in high school, to going to college, to being a point guard in the NBA, to having some injuries that he had to deal with, [from] losing championship games as a player to winning them as a coach, to not having a good season and the next year winning it all.

"He gave a lot of personal insight into his attitude and his approach as a player, as a coach, as a broadcaster and all the things he learned along the way - not all of them, but many of the things he learned along the way. It was tremendous. I think every coach and every player there gained a lot of insight and took things out of it that can help us personally, each one of us. I know a lot of us took notes, either wrote them down or mentally took them and then wrote them down - things that he said that really struck a chord and hit home.

"I'd say that when you look at Doc, there are very few peoples that have done what he's done and experienced what he's experienced in his life. He's a remarkable man. As I told the team, I think he could probably take any 10 of us in that room, put us together and not have experienced as many things as Doc has in his career. We all learned a lot from him and it was one of the best presentations that we have heard. It was awesome."

Belichick, who attended several of Boston's playoff games last year, said that he sought out Rivers to give a presentation to the Patriots.

"He generously gave us his time," Belichick said. "I know he has a very busy and demanding schedule. The start of their season is right around the corner, but he very graciously came in and gave us a lot of insight into so many different things. It was really a great presentation."

 Tags  Bill Belichick Boston Celtics Celtics Doc Rivers New England Patriots Patriots Rob Lee Robert Lee

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