Doc Rivers Says Los Angeles Clippers Didn’t Give Dwyane Wade Proper Send-Off

By Brady Klopfer
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Updated: February 26, 2019

Los Angeles Clippers head coach Doc Rivers thinks that Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade wasn’t given a proper celebration when he played his final road game against the Clippers on Dec. 8.

The coach grabbed headlines on Monday when he called a timeout in the waning seconds of a victory over the Dallas Mavericks and grabbed a microphone to celebrate the career of Dirk Nowitzki. After the game he said that part of his motivation for the action was that Wade hadn’t been given a proper send-off.

Doc Rivers on getting Dirk Nowitzki a standing ovation from the Clippers crowd: “I had a timeout. I didn’t plan it. I just felt like he deserved that. Against Miami Heat, I thought we didn’t give Dwyane Wade the right sendoff. I wasn’t gonna let that happen again.” pic.twitter.com/9abmDhw92U
— Heart of NBA (@HeartofNBA) February 26, 2019

“I had a timeout — honestly, I didn’t plan it,” Rivers said of the Nowitzki tribute. “I just felt like he deserved that. … I thought we didn’t give Wade — it was a close game, I think they won the game, Wade played like he should play five more years — and I didn’t think we gave him the right send-off. So I wasn’t going to let that happen again.”

Rivers’ memory isn’t quite accurate, as the Heat actually beat the Clippers by a convincing score of 121-98, thanks to a 30-8 fourth quarter. Wade led all scorers that night with 25 points.

To the sadness of many, Wade is retiring at the end of the year. The 13-time All-Star is averaging 14.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game this season.