'Hey, Mr. Erving, Dr. J, Glenn Rivers.' And he says, 'Doc Rivers'' - Doc Rivers reveals the story behind his nickname

Doc Rivers' full name is Glenn Anton Rivers. His parents did not bestow the nickname on him when he was a toddler. He got it when he was already a young man with hoop dreams.

The Doc

While he got the nickname after the great Julius "Dr. J" Erving, it wasn't because Rivers was a high-flying dunker who rocked an afro. The reason is more simple but still connected to Glenn's basketball talent.

"I got the nickname at a basketball camp at Marquette," Rivers explained, per Sports Illustrated. "After I check in, I walk away, and Rick Majerus tells Al McGuire, 'That kid is really good.' And I had a Dr. J T-shirt on. So at the end of the week, the Milwaukee Bucks came in to play a basketball game in front of the campers, and they only had nine players, and they needed a 10th."

"And Al McGuire walks up to the stands -- I think there were 200 kids at this camp -- and he starts yelling for Doc. He's pointing at me, but my name's Glenn. And he keeps saying, 'Doc, come down.' Finally, I realize Doc was me." he added. 

The name stuck. People started calling Glenn "Doc" in college until he turned pro in 1983. In the beginning, perhaps many people wondered how he got his name. Many assumed he got it from Dr. J but wondered why. After all, Rivers stood 6'4" and played like a traditional point guard. He was the one throwing up lobs, not catching them, and then dunking them.

But Rivers soon quelled such trivial questions. Yes, he wasn't as athletic as the Philly legend, but Glenn had a special talent for playmaking. He averaged as much as 10.0 assists in his NBA career and was a critical part of the Atlanta Hawks' playoff runs in the 80s. And even when he hung his jersey and sneakers for good, this innate playmaking ability powered Doc to be a successful coach in the NBA.

Meeting the OG

Still, the current Milwaukee Bucks acknowledges where his nickname came from. And when he met the real Doc moments before tipoff in a game, it made for a legendary moment that's stuck in Rivers' mind forever.

"First of all, I was nervous," Rivers said, per NBC Sports. "I was embarrassed. We go up to the circle, you know, the starting lineup. I had never met Dr. J. So I walk up to him and I put my hand out and say, 'Hey, Mr. Erving, Dr. J, Glenn Rivers.' And he says, 'Doc Rivers.' And for me, that was really cool that he did that because it just showed the class of Julius — as you know, one of the classier men in the world."

In a media interview when Rivers was head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, he told broadcaster Marc Zumoff that he preferred to be called "Glenn." While the nickname Doc has been attached for playoff appearances and a historic 2008 NBA Championship run, Rivers knows that in Philly, "there's only one Doc in town."