"Had people looking at him funny" - Matt Barnes spills the beans on Doc Rivers' 'weird' act for son Austin Rivers that ended Lob City Clippers

Matt Barnes has opened up about his time with the LA Clippers and the dynamic after coach Doc Rivers brought in his son, Austin Rivers. The Lob City Clippers were fun to watch and had a lot of potential, but they failed to make it past the second round.

In an appearance on the "Club 520" podcast with Jeff Teague, Barnes discussed a variety of topics regarding his career. He played four total seasons with the Clippers, including two under Doc from 2014 to 2015.

The one-time NBA champ called it having "weird energy" inside the locker room when Austin arrived in the middle of the 2014-15 season. The team wasn't just clicking despite being talented, which was the start of the end for the Lob City Clippers.

"He brought his son over, and it was just some weird energy there," Barnes said. "He paid his son. I'm not even mad. If I was in the position, I pay the sh*t out of my son, too. But people don't understand at the time what that did to people.

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The former Golden State Warrior added:

"I mean, he was making more than me, Jamal (Crawford), JJ (Redick), like guys that were putting in real minutes, you know what I mean? Playing in crunch time. And it kind of, without knowing, kind of had people looking at him funny."

Doc Rivers was in charge of the LA Clippers for seven seasons, making the playoffs six times. They also made the Western Conference Semifinals three times and were one win away from advancing twice in 2014 and 2020. However, the Clippers blew a 3-1 series lead both times.

As for Austin Rivers, he was with the Clippers from 2015 to 2018. The Clippers signed him to a three-year, $35.5 million extension in the summer of 2015, which was what Matt Barnes was probably talking about.

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Doc Rivers on the hot seat heading into 2025-26 season

Doc Rivers on the hot seat heading into 2025-26 season. (Photo: IMAGN)

After leaving the LA Clippers in 2020, Doc Rivers was hired to take over the Philadelphia 76ers. Rivers led them to three Eastern Conference semifinal appearances, but they just couldn't get over the hump.

The Milwaukee Bucks came calling in the middle of the 2023-24 season after firing coach Adrian Griffin. They had the third-best record in the NBA that season, but they were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in the first round.

After another first-round exit last season, Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints put Rivers, as well as Sixers coach Nick Nurse, on the hot seat.

Edited by Juan Paolo David