"Poor dude starving for attention" - Austin Rivers claps back at Stephen Jackson after former Warriors star insults him as 'irrelevant'

There seems to be tension brewing between former NBA players Austin Rivers and Stephen Jackson after a recent exchange. It began when Jackson called Rivers irrelevant, prompting Rivers to respond on X (formerly Twitter).

Jackson was asked about Austin Rivers' opinion on NBA players potentially trying the NFL and vice versa. Jackson replied that he didn't want to be part of any conversation involving Rivers, calling him irrelevant.

In response, Rivers posted on X:

“This so ironic considering he stays having my name in his mouth 😂. (I have never met this guy btw lol) The comments say it all🤣. He’s at it again lmao!! Poor dude starving for attention. Sad sight tbh. I honestly wish him nothing but the best fr. Good God bro…grow up 🤦‍♂️”

Last month, Rivers boldly claimed he could take 30 NBA players and have them succeed in the NFL, but NFL players wouldn't fare as well in the NBA.

When asked about Rivers' comment, Jackson stated:

"I don’t want to ask a question with his name is phrased in. Austin Rivers is somebody not relevant nowhere."

Matt Barnes points to Austin Rivers, nepotism as reasons behind ‘Lob City’ downfall

Former LA Clippers player Matt Barnes recently stirred controversy by alleging that Doc Rivers disrupted the team's championship aspirations during the "Lob City" era.

The team earned the nickname "Lob City" because of the frequent high-flying alley-oop dunks executed by Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan, often assisted by point guard Chris Paul.

Barnes attributed the team's downfall to Doc Rivers' decision to sign his son, Austin Rivers, to a three-year, $35 million contract in 2016.

In an Instagram reply, Barnes said:

“Nah Doc broke that s**t up when he paid his son that money. He lost the team after that.”

The "Lob City" era, which spanned from 2011 to 2017, was characterized by the Clippers' consistent success, including five consecutive 50-win seasons and two Pacific Division titles. However, the team never advanced beyond the conference semifinals.

Austin Rivers ended up averaging 11.1 points, 2.5 assists and 2.1 rebounds in four seasons for the Clippers

In 2022, Barnes said while the Lob City Clippers had good off-court chemistry, it didn't translate to on-court success.

"But then on the court, it was just, it was different. At times, we would look like the best team in the league, hands down. We would blow out the best teams in the league, we’d be hitting on all cylinders. And other times, there would be finger-pointing and issues.