Doc Rivers has a checkered history with one of the referees working tonight's Game 6. In 2009, Bill Kennedy tossed Doc Rivers from a game against the Bulls. Both men were fined for the incident -- Rivers was docked 25,000.
At the time, Rivers said: "The technical on which I got thrown out was the most unprofessional technical by a ref I've ever had. He stood there and goaded me and goaded me and stared at me. Look at the film. I actually walked away. He asked me, 'Where do you want the ball?' And I said, 'Ask them,' talking about my players. That's my right to say that, and he walked away... He stood there and stared me down and stared me down and goaded me until I turned around and said, 'What?' That's when I got thrown out of the game. In a 5-point game? Think about that."
In all likelihood, the relationship between Rivers and Kennedy will have very little impact on tonight's game, but it's worth mentioning that they may not like each other -- especially if you have subscribed to the theory that all NBA referees are dirty ever since the Tim Donaghy scandal came to light.