"Champions don't speak like that" - Stephen A. Smith roasts Doc Rivers' defensive comments

Doc Rivers coached the 2008 Boston Celtics to an NBA championship, and no one will ever be able to take that away from him. However, he has also had his fair share of shortcomings. He's blown 3-1 leads in the playoffs with the Orlando Magic, the LA Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Even so, he recently claimed that the criticism was unfair, as he had been an underdog in some of those situations and had never been swept.

With that in mind, Stephen A. Smith claimed that, as much as he deserves credit for what he's accomplished, he also needs to be held accountable for when he hasn't finished the job:

"Doc Rivers is a champion," Smith said. "I think he's a Hall-of-Fame coach. I do think he can coach his butt off, I truly do. I know players who would say otherwise; I'm not vibing with them on that. ... But here is what Doc Rivers can't escape: you lost more Game 7s than any coach in NBA history. You've lost your last five Game 7s. Your record is 6-10 in Game 7s."

Smith thinks Rivers doesn't deserve some of the criticism he's gotten because some of his stars have either underperformed or been hurt. Then again, numbers don't lie, and he thinks Rivers' argument about not being swept doesn't reflect his status as a champion:

"He's right when he talks about he can coach, and you know what? You might have to look elsewhere," Smith added. "But in the end, your record is your record. And this is what I'll say, and I'll leave it to y'all. Doc Rivers is a champion, but champions don't speak like that."

Doc Rivers is on the verge of making NBA history

Even so, Doc Rivers is still one of the most accomplished coaches in the league's history. He's just one win away from tying the legendary Phil Jackson, who won 1,155 regular-season games with the Chicago Bulls and LA Lakers.

However, Jackson also won 11 championships in 20 seasons, leading two franchises to multiple three-peats.

Rivers can silence the critics by leading the Milwaukee Bucks back to the mountaintop. That will be easier said than done as the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers march strong atop the Eastern Conference.

On the other hand, another blown 3-1 lead could be the end of the line for the player-turned-coach.