Doc Rivers should take responsibility for his comments, but Shannon Sharpe believes that ESPN journalist Marc J. Spears should have offered him the chance to edit out his controversial remarks.
Recently, Spears interviewed Rivers for Andscape as the coach nears Phil Jackson on the all-time coaching wins list. During the conversation, Rivers was questioned about the criticism he has faced for losing four 3-1 playoff series, to which he responded defensively, suggesting he deserves more credit for winning three of those series.
On Tuesday morning’s episode of First Take, both Stephen A. Smith and Sharpe visibly cringed at Rivers’ justification. However, Sharpe went further, questioning whether Spears provided Rivers the chance to request edits to that part of the interview before publication. He mentioned that in his own interviews on Club Shay Shay, he often double-checks with guests to ensure they are comfortable with everything being aired.
“If I’m Marc J. Spears, I’m gonna say, ‘Doc, are you sure, are you absolutely certain you want this out there? Because do you understand how bad this is going to make you look?’” – Shannon Sharpe on Doc Rivers defending blowing 3-1 leads in the playoffs pic.twitter.com/B4rqdb65GM
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 25, 2025
Sharpe expressed disbelief, stating, “If I’m Marc J. Spears, I’m gonna say, ‘Doc, are you sure you want this out there? This is your words; do you understand how this will come across?’” He implied that he couldn’t fathom why Rivers would allow such statements to be published.
It seems that Sharpe’s approach to conducting interviews prioritizes creating a comfortable environment, allowing guests to edit their remarks. While he is transparent about this, he has also clarified that he is not a journalist and does not strive for hard-hitting questioning on his podcast. Conversely, Spears is a journalist, and while it’s important to clarify on-the-record discussions, he should not be held responsible for Rivers’ statements during their exchange.
Ultimately, Rivers should have anticipated that defending his history of blown 3-1 series leads would likely be perceived negatively. This lapse in judgment is neither Spears’ fault nor his responsibility. Journalists are answerable to their audiences, not to shielding their sources from criticism.
