Doc Rivers reveals his all-time favorite Kobe Bryant story

LOS ANGELES — Doc Rivers and Kobe Bryant have been rivals for what seems like Bryant’s entire 20-year career.

Though they never played against each other -- Rivers retired after the 1995-96 season, a year before Bryant entered the NBA -- the two have been directly at odds for a minimum of a decade now, if not longer.

The rivalry dates back to Rivers’ San Antonio roots, as Rivers played for the Spurs -- arguably Bryant's primary rival -- and is technically of the Gregg Popovich’s coaching lineage.

Things really heated up, though, when Rivers began coaching the Celtics in 2004, immediately becoming Bryant and the Lakers’ sworn enemy. The rivalry reached its apex in 2008 and 2010, when the Celtics and Lakers met in the NBA Finals, with each franchise winning one championship, respectively.

After that, Rivers joined the Clippers -- the Lakers' hallway rival -- in 2013, becoming coach and president of basketball operations. As the Lakers have fallen over the past few seasons, Rivers has helped lead the rise of the Clippers, and relations between the two franchises have soured.

Before the Clippers dispatched of the Lakers, 103-81, in Bryant’s final game as a visitor at Staples Center on Tuesday night, Rivers reflected on his history with Bryant and shared one of his favorite memories.

“Game 6 was terrific,” Rivers said of the Celtics’ 39-point drubbing of the Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals to win the championship. “That’s a moment that I remember in 2008. The funniest moment, Kobe knows this, but we were up 1,000 [points] in Game 6 and the guy who you would least expect walks over to me during the game -- [then-Celtics assistant coach] Tom Thibodeau -- and he asks me, ‘Are you going to sub out? There’s six minutes and we’re up 42 points.’

“Of all the guys to say that, it’s Tom Thibodeau. And I looked over there at the Lakers and Kobe was still on the floor, and I actually said, ‘When Phil takes that guy out, I take my guys out.’ And Thibs said, ‘You’re safe.’ And I said, ‘Not with that guy on the floor.’

“I was dead serious. I had obviously lost my mind because it was a 42-point lead. But he put that fear in you, man. He could run off threes. I was obviously not good at math, so I was worried about him. Then finally Phil took him out so I could sub. It was good.”

Rivers’ memory was clearly fuzzy, as the Celtics were actually up 35 points, and not 40, at the six-minute mark. The Celtics actually subbed out their Big 3 -- Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen -- at the 4:01 mark, nearly two minutes before the Lakers took Bryant out. The Lakers finally subbed out Bryant at the 2:20 mark, at which point they were trailing by 38 points.

The larger point, of course, is that Bryant was so dominant at the time -- he won the MVP in 2008, and there’s a case to be made that was his peak -- that Rivers wouldn’t risk putting his bench players in and losing a 35-point lead.

As Thibodeau pointed out -- which is ironic, as he caught plenty of flak for overplaying his guys while coaching the Bulls -- the game was over. Even if Bryant got hot, there wasn't enough time to mount a comeback. But Rivers didn't care. He didn't want to take that chance.

Few players have elicited such fear or respect in NBA history, which is what makes Bryant's final season bittersweet for Rivers.

"No sadness my way," Rivers said. "Let me be clear: I love Kobe, but I'd never cheer for him to win. I was always the opponent, and have been an opponent throughout his career. I'd never get that skewed. So I have no sadness toward that.

"Just mad respect. I have always had that for him and for each other. My job was to try and stop him or frustrate him when we play him, and his job was to try and inflict pain. It is the type of relationship we have.

"But the respect is amazing. I have always respected him. I have always respected the way he approached the game."

Jovan Buha covers the NBA for FOX Sports. Follow him on Twitter: @jovanbuha.