Nate Robinson, a former NBA guard with the Celtics, recently revealed on “The OGs” podcast hosted by Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller that he still holds a grudge against Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers.

Robinson recounted how Rivers’ decision to bench him in a critical game cost him a significant amount of money.

In his contract with the Celtics, Robinson had a clause that entitled him to a bonus of around $1.5 million if he played a certain number of games. However, when he was just one game away from reaching that threshold, Rivers gave him a “DNP” (did not play) designation for the game, preventing him from reaching the required number of games.

Robinson suspects that Rivers deliberately benched him to prevent him from reaching the milestone and receiving the bonus. Despite never confronting Rivers about it directly, Robinson is convinced that it was a deliberate move on the coach’s part.

 

Robinson’s frustration stems from his time with the Celtics after being traded from the New York Knicks. Although he had played in the final four games of the season for Boston, it was during his tenure with the Knicks that he missed a significant number of games due to injury before the trade. This trade resulted in Robinson having played 56 out of the 60 games required to secure the bonus.

Rivers’ decision to bench him for three games immediately after the trade limited Robinson’s chances of reaching the required number of games, ultimately preventing him from securing the bonus money.