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David Rivers
Personal information
Born (1965-01-20) January 20, 1965 (age 60)
Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.
High school St. Anthony (Jersey City, New Jersey)
Listed height 1.81 m (5 ft 11.26 in)
Listed weight 170 lb (77 kg)
Career information
College Notre Dame (1984–1988)
NBA Draft 1988 / Round: 1 / Pick: 25th overall
Selected by the Los Angeles Lakers
Pro career 1988–2001
Coaching career 2014–2015
Career history
As player:
1988–1989 Los Angeles Lakers
1989–1990 Los Angeles Clippers
1990–1991 Tulsa Fast Breakers
1991 Memphis Rockers
1991–1992 Los Angeles Clippers
1992–1993 La Crosse Catbirds
1993–1995 Olympique Antibes
1995–1997 Olympiacos
1997–1998 Fortitudo Bologna
1998–2000 Tofaş
2000–2001 Olympiacos
2003–2004 Olympique Antibes
As coach:
2008 Virtus Bologna (Academy)
2014–2015 Kennesaw State (associate HC)
Career highlights and awards
As player:
  • EuroLeague champion (1997)
  • EuroLeague Final Four MVP (1997)
  • EuroLeague Finals Top Scorer (1997)
  • EuroLeague assists leader (2000)
  • EuroLeague steals leader (1998)
  • 4× FIBA EuroStar (1996–1999)
  • FIBA EuroStars MVP (1996)
  • Italian Cup winner (1998)
  • Greek League Hall of Fame (2022)
  • 2× Greek League champion (1996, 1997)
  • Greek Cup winner (1997)
  • Greek League MVP (1997)
  • Greek Cup Finals MVP (1997)
  • French League champion (1995)
  • French League Foreign Player's MVP (1995)
  • 2x French All Star Game (1994, 1995)
  • 2× Turkish League champion (1999, 2000)
  • 2× Turkish Cup winner (1999, 2000)
  • CBA champion (1992)
  • CBA Playoffs MVP (1992)
  • 2× CBA assists leader (1992, 1993)
  • All-CBA First Team (1992)
  • Second-team All-American – NABC (1988)
  • Second-team Parade All-American (1984)
  • McDonald's All American (1984)

David Lee Rivers (born January 20, 1965) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. He was a talented point guard, standing 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) tall. David Rivers became a star player in the EuroLeague, especially when he played for Olympiacos under coach Dušan Ivković. Rivers also played three seasons in the NBA for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers. He played college basketball at the University of Notre Dame.

David Rivers' Early Life and High School Basketball

David Rivers grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey. He played high school basketball at St. Anthony High School under famous coach Bob Hurley. His team won three State Championships with his help. David was also the first player from his school to be invited to the McDonald's All-American Game in 1984. He played alongside John Valentin at St. Anthony.

College Basketball Career at Notre Dame

Rivers received a basketball scholarship to the University of Notre Dame. He played for coach Digger Phelps. As a freshman, he immediately became a starting point guard. In his second year, he helped his team reach the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament.

In August 1986, before his junior year, David was in a serious car accident. He was a passenger in a van that overturned. He suffered a very large cut on his stomach. Despite this life-threatening injury, he made an amazing recovery. He was able to play in 32 college games that very season!

He was named the team's Most Valuable Player (MVP) for four years in a row. He was also a team co-captain for three seasons. He earned All-American honors in 1987 and 1988.

David Rivers holds many records at Notre Dame. He is fourth in school history for total points (2,058). He is also second in assists (586) and steals (201). He started 116 games, which is the second most ever for the team. He was chosen for the 1987 NCAA Championship All-Regional team.

David Rivers' Professional Basketball Journey

Playing in the NBA

The Los Angeles Lakers picked David Rivers in the first round of the 1988 NBA draft. He was the 25th player chosen overall. In his first year, he played in 47 regular season games. He averaged about 3 points and 2 assists per game. He also played in 6 playoff games. His team reached the NBA Finals but lost to the Detroit Pistons.

In 1989, the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Rivers in the 1989 NBA expansion draft. However, he was released before the season started. Later that year, he signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. He played in 53 games for them, starting 11 of them. He averaged 4.2 points and 3 assists per game. After this season, he was not re-signed.

He briefly signed with the San Antonio Spurs in 1990 but was released before the season began.

Success in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA)

In 1990, David Rivers joined the Tulsa Fast Breakers in the Continental Basketball Association. He later moved to the La Crosse Catbirds in 1991. He played under coach Flip Saunders. He also had a brief return to the Los Angeles Clippers for 15 games in the 1991–1992 season.

He then went back to La Crosse. There, he helped his team win the league championship! He was amazing in the finals, averaging 27.1 points and 9.6 assists. He was named the MVP of the CBA Playoffs.

Becoming a Star in Europe

In 1993, David Rivers moved to Europe to play basketball. He signed with Olympique Antibes in the French League (LNB Pro A). He played there for two seasons and helped them win the championship in 1995.

In 1995, he joined Olympiacos in the Greek Basket League. He won the Greek League title with them in 1996. The 1996–1997 season was incredible for him and Olympiacos. They won the Greek Basketball Cup, the Greek Basket League, and the prestigious EuroLeague! This was only the second time a Greek club had won the EuroLeague trophy. Rivers was named the EuroLeague Final Four MVP for his outstanding performance. He averaged 27 points per game in the two Final Four games. At this time, he was considered one of the best basketball players in all of Europe. Fans of Olympiacos remember him as a legend. He was also named the European Player of the Year in 1997, the first American to receive this high honor.

After Olympiacos, Rivers played for Teamsystem Bologna in Italy. He helped them win the Italian Basketball Cup. He shared the MVP award for the cup with his teammate.

In 1998, he signed with Tofaş in the Turkish League. He won two Turkish League championships and two Turkish Cups with them. He then returned to play for Olympiacos for one more season in 2000.

Even after not playing for two years, he returned to Olympique Antibes for the 2003–04 season. In 2013, he was honored by Olympique Antibes. He was inducted into their Hall of Fame, and his jersey number was retired.

David Rivers' Life After Playing

In 2009, David Rivers started coaching. He was hired by Virtus Bologna in Italy to help develop young players. In 2014, he became an associate head coach for the Kennesaw State Owls. He also works as a director at Village Camps Basketball Camps in Switzerland, teaching young players.

Career Achievements

Club Titles

  • CBA Champion: 1 (with La Crosse Catbirds: 1991–92)
  • French League Champion: 1 (with Olympique Antibes: 1994–95)
  • Greek League Champion: 2 (with Olympiacos: 1995–96, 1996–97)
  • Greek Cup Winner: 1 (with Olympiacos: 1996–97)
  • EuroLeague Champion: 1 (with Olympiacos: 1996–97)
  • Italian Cup Winner: 1 (with Fortitudo Bologna: 1997–98)
  • Turkish League Champion: 2 (with Tofaş: 1998–99, 1999–00)
  • Turkish Cup Winner: 2 (with Tofaş: 1998–99, 1999–00)

See also

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