Rivers fits in Houston but declares Orlando his home
ORLANDO, Fla. — Austin Rivers lives in Los Angeles, plays in Houston, but has never changed where he calls home, especially with the Rockets’ game in Orlando on Sunday.
“That’ll never change,” Rivers said. “My house is in L.A. now. That’s where everybody is in the summer training. The weather, although Orlando is not too bad weather, either. Everything is out there. I will never claim I’m from L.A. or that’s my home. My home is Orlando forever. It’s my favorite place in the world. That’ll never change.”
The Magic expressed interest in Rivers after the Suns waived him following his trade from the Wizards. Rivers said he always wanted to play for his hometown team, but the Rockets offered too great a fit and too much potential to pass up.
“I just saw the way Houston played,” Rivers said. “They like layups, getting to the basket and shoot 3s, which is what I love to do. And they needed a defender, which I love to do. The things they need I did well. And this is a Finals-caliber team. They’re a game away from the NBA Finals last year. I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to play (for the Rockets). With only one year left on my deal, I felt like this was the best place to be.
“I think everybody could agree it was the right choice. Playing for Orlando, that would be really cool, man. I’ve always had a dream as a kid playing for the hometown team. Any player that says they don’t want to play for the hometown team is lying.”
Signed after Chris Paul went out with a strained hamstring, Rivers has played in 10 games with the Rockets, the past seven as a starter after Eric Gordon was also hurt. Rivers scored in double figures in eight of his first nine games with the Rockets, once more than in his 27 games with the Wizards. He had 25 on Sunday.
“I knew I could fit in, but I didn’t think it could be like this,” Rivers said. “It hasn’t even been a transition. It’s like I’ve been playing here for years. As soon as I got here, I told my family and my fiancée this might be the best fit I’ve ever had in my career. It’s been amazing.”