Fishburne went in blind, as he had no clue who Rivers was before taking the role, via the Dan Patrick Show. “When you get this offer to play Doc Rivers, what do you think of right away?” host and commentator Dan Patrick said. “Who’s Doc Rivers?” Fishburne replied. “Wait, you didn’t know who Doc Rivers was?” Patrick replied in shock. “I had no idea who Doc Rivers was, I told you, I’m not a sports fan,” Fishburne reminded him.