Doc Rivers was close to leaving the Celtics after last season, one year before his contract expired. The lure of spending time with his family and watching his kids play sports was tugging at him. In the end, however, the pull of coaching future Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce was too strong, and he came back.
But that doesn't mean he still hasn't thought of taking time off. Rivers told CSNNE's Greg Dickerson that he still plans on taking time off from his coaching career, though he hasn't made any specific plans just yet.
"I'm still gonna do it eventually," Rivers said. "Not just for the family. I just think it's healthy. Teachers take sabbaticals to retool, to recharge. I think coaches need to do that as well. So I will."
Rivers' contract with the Celtics expires at the end of this season, and though he and general manager Danny Ainge have had discussions about a new deal, there is nothing in place to keep Rivers in Boston for the foreseeable future.
If there is an NBA lockout and next season is delayed, Rivers' vacation could be scheduled for him.