Austin Rivers

2.1. Birth and family

Austin Rivers was born in Santa Monica, California, on August 1, 1992. His parents are Doc Rivers and Kristen Rivers (née Campion). His father, Doc Rivers, was a former NBA player and at the time of Austin's birth, had recently joined the Los Angeles Clippers. Basketball runs in the family; Austin's older brother, Jeremiah Rivers, played basketball for Georgetown and Indiana before joining the Maine Red Claws. His older sister, Callie, played volleyball for the University of Florida and is married to Austin's former Duke teammate and current NBA player, Seth Curry. His younger brother, Spencer, played as a guard for UC Irvine from 2014 to 2019.

2.2. Name origin

Austin Rivers' first name, Austin, was chosen in honor of former Cleveland Cavaliers guard Austin Carr. His middle name, James, pays tribute to his great-uncle, Jim Brewer.

3.1. High school career

Austin Rivers attended Winter Park High School in Winter Park, Florida. In 2010, he led his high school to its first state title, scoring 23 points in a 76-57 victory against Dr. Phillips High School in the 6A state championship game. In June 2010, Rivers was part of the gold medal-winning Team USA at the FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship, where he set a U18 event record for Team USA with 35 points against Canada. On August 5, 2010, Rivers was named to the fifth annual Boost Mobile Elite 24 game, where he earned co-MVP honors after recording 25 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists.

On March 5, 2011, Rivers led Winter Park to a second consecutive Florida 6A state championship, defeating Dr. Phillips High School 52-44, contributing 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 steals. He was recognized as the 2011 Naismith Prep Player of the Year on March 10, 2011. Rivers was also named an All-American and All-State honoree, and he participated in the 2011 Nike Hoop Summit for Team USA. He was consistently rated as one of the top high school basketball players in the Class of 2011, achieving a No. 1 ranking by Rivals.com. In September 2010, Rivers committed to Duke University, a decision widely covered by sports media due to his top recruit status. He officially signed with Duke on November 16, 2010, as a five-star recruit with an ESPN grade of 98.

3.2. College career

As a freshman at Duke University, Austin Rivers participated in the Blue Devils' exhibition games during an international tour in China and Dubai in August 2011. In these games, he demonstrated his scoring ability, contributing 18 points, 12 points, and 11 points in three victories against the China men's national basketball team, and 16 points, including 10 in the second quarter, against the Dubai national team.

A highlight of his college career occurred on February 8, 2012, when his three-point basket at the buzzer secured an 85-84 victory for Duke over the University of North Carolina. This dramatic shot allowed Duke to overcome an 82-72 deficit with two minutes remaining and ended North Carolina's 31-game winning streak at the Dean Smith Center.

Rivers' college career concluded in the "Round of 64" of the NCAA Tournament on March 16, 2012, when Duke lost to Lehigh University. Rivers played 34 minutes in the game, shooting 5-of-14 from the field, as Lehigh earned its first NCAA Tournament victory. He averaged 15.2 points per game during his single season at Duke. On March 26, 2012, Rivers officially declared for the 2012 NBA draft, foregoing his final three years of college eligibility.

4.1. New Orleans Hornets / Pelicans (2012-2015)

Austin Rivers was selected by the New Orleans Hornets with the 10th overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft. He chose to wear the number 25 jersey, a tribute to the number his father wore during his own NBA playing career. Rivers signed his rookie scale contract with the Hornets on July 24, 2012. Three days later, he underwent successful surgery to address bone spurs in his right ankle.

Rivers made his NBA debut on October 31, 2012, in the Hornets' season opener against the San Antonio Spurs, scoring 7 points on 1-of-9 shooting in 24 minutes as a starter. On December 14, he achieved a then-career-high 27 points in a 113-102 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. His rookie season was cut short on March 6, 2013, when he broke his hand, requiring surgery that sidelined him for the remainder of the season. In his rookie year, he averaged 6.2 points on 37% field goal shooting and 33% from three-point range. In April 2013, the franchise officially rebranded, changing their name from the Hornets to the Pelicans.

On October 16, 2013, the Pelicans exercised their third-year team option on Rivers' rookie contract, extending it through the 2014-15 NBA season. On April 12, 2014, he recorded season highs of 20 points and 10 rebounds in a 111-104 loss to the Houston Rockets. However, on October 24, 2014, the Pelicans declined to exercise their fourth-year team option on his contract, meaning it would not be extended through the 2015-16 NBA season. On December 20, 2014, Rivers scored a season-high 21 points in an 88-114 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

4.2. Los Angeles Clippers (2015-2018)

On January 12, 2015, Austin Rivers was traded to the Boston Celtics as part of a three-team trade that also involved the Pelicans and the Memphis Grizzlies. Just three days later, he was again traded in another three-team deal involving the Celtics and the Phoenix Suns, ultimately landing with the Los Angeles Clippers. This move was significant as it placed him under the coaching of his father, Doc Rivers, who was then the head coach of the Clippers. On January 16, Rivers made his debut for the Clippers, becoming the first player in NBA history to play for a team coached by his father. This unique family dynamic in the NBA sparked considerable discussion and scrutiny.

On February 21, Rivers scored a then-career-high 28 points in a 129-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings. During the 2015 NBA playoffs, on May 8, he achieved a playoff career-high of 25 points in the Clippers' 124-99 win against the Houston Rockets, which gave them a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals. This performance was particularly electrifying for Clippers fans.

Rivers re-signed with the Clippers on July 13, 2015, and again on July 8, 2016, with the latter deal reportedly being for three years and 35.00 M USD. On February 6, 2016, he was sidelined for four to six weeks due to a broken left hand. He returned to action and on March 31, he set a new career-high with 32 points in a narrow 117-119 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. In Game 6 of their first-round playoff series against the Portland Trail Blazers on April 29, Rivers delivered a resilient performance. Despite sustaining a deep cut above his left eye from an elbow in the first quarter, which required 11 stitches and significantly impaired his vision, he returned to the game. He finished with 21 points and 8 assists with 0 turnovers, earning widespread praise for his toughness, even as the Clippers were eliminated with a 103-106 loss.

During the 2016-17 NBA season, on December 14, 2016, Rivers scored a season-high 25 points, including 7-of-10 from three-point range, in a 113-108 win over the Orlando Magic. He surpassed this on January 4, 2017, with 28 points in a 115-106 victory against the Memphis Grizzlies. For the season, he averaged career highs of 12.0 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. However, he missed the last six regular season games and the first four playoff games due to a strained left hamstring, returning for Game 5 of the Clippers' first-round playoff series against the Utah Jazz.

In the 2017-18 NBA season, Rivers continued to achieve new scoring benchmarks. On December 3, 2017, he scored a season-high 30 points in a 106-112 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. On December 22, he set a career-high of 36 points (with 30 of those points coming in the second half) in a 128-118 win over the Houston Rockets. The very next night, he raised his career-high again to 38 points in a 112-115 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. He later missed 18 games between late December and early February due to a heel bruise.

4.3. Washington Wizards (2018)

On June 26, 2018, Rivers was traded to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Marcin Gortat. His tenure with the Wizards was brief; on December 17, 2018, he was traded alongside Kelly Oubre Jr. to the Phoenix Suns for Trevor Ariza. The following day, Rivers was waived by the Suns.

4.4. Houston Rockets (2018-2020)

After being waived by the Suns, Austin Rivers signed with the Houston Rockets on December 24, 2018, on a two-year contract worth 4.50 M USD. Upon joining the Rockets, Rivers expressed a strong desire to prove himself, stating, "I'm going to show everyone who I am. I've always carried a stigma. Guys who know nothing about me always have something to say." This reflected his resilience in addressing public perceptions.

On January 5, 2019, he scored a season-high 21 points in a 101-110 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. On April 7, in a dominant 149-113 win against the Phoenix Suns, Rivers made the 27th three-pointer for the Rockets, breaking the NBA record for most three-pointers made by a single team in a game (surpassing the Rockets' own previous record of 26). In 47 games with Houston during the 2018-19 season, he averaged 8.7 points, 2.3 assists, and 1.9 rebounds in 28.6 minutes per game. The Rockets had a 72% win rate after signing Rivers. He started 13 consecutive games from December 31 through January 25, during which he averaged 11.6 points, 3.8 assists, and 2.7 rebounds in 38.1 minutes per game. The team performed particularly well when Rivers contributed significantly, holding a 15-5 record when he scored in double figures and a 9-1 record when he recorded at least four assists. Notably, he had nearly as many steals (29) as turnovers (32) during his time with the Rockets.

On August 9, 2020, Rivers scored a career-high 41 points off the bench in the Orlando bubble, leading the Rockets to a 129-112 victory over the Sacramento Kings. He made six three-pointers in this game, which was played without Russell Westbrook, who was sidelined with a bruised right quadriceps.

4.5. New York Knicks (2020-2021)

On November 27, 2020, Austin Rivers was acquired by the New York Knicks via a sign-and-trade deal, reportedly signing a three-year contract worth 10.00 M USD. His time with the Knicks was short-lived, as he was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a three-team trade on March 25, 2021. Rivers was then waived by the Thunder just three days later, on March 28, 2021, without having played a game for them.

4.6. Denver Nuggets (2021-2022)

On April 20, 2021, the Denver Nuggets signed Austin Rivers to a 10-day contract, a move prompted by a season-ending injury sustained by Jamal Murray. Ten days later, he was signed for the remainder of the 2020-21 NBA season. On September 1, 2021, Rivers re-signed with the Nuggets for the 2021-22 NBA season.

4.7. Minnesota Timberwolves (2022-2023)

On July 14, 2022, Austin Rivers signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. During his final professional playing season, on February 4, 2023, Rivers was suspended by the NBA for three games without pay. This suspension was a result of his involvement in an on-court altercation during a game against the Orlando Magic the previous day, where he was observed throwing punches at Magic center Mo Bamba.

8.1. NBA

8.2. College