When we look back on Lob City, everything was nearly perfect. On paper, the Clippers were a fantastic team with an outstanding roster. Behind the scenes was different. The friction among the franchise stars was nothing new with the Clippers or any team. Lob City had the star power, the highlights, and the promise of banners. But when Doc Rivers brought in his son Austin, the team’s chemistry cracked, and a decade later, Matt Barnes is still pointing fingers.

Doc Rivers’ homecoming with the Clippers was a full circle for the family. His second son, Austin, was born the year he played for the Clippers. The Clippers did something unorthodox by trading draft picks to the Celtics to bring Doc Rivers as head coach of the team in 2013. In 2014, after a huge scandal, Adam Silver forced the sale of the team from Donald Sterling to Steve Ballmer (how is that working out now?). In 2015, a three-team trade brought Austin to the Clippers, making it the first time in history that an NBA player played for his dad as the head coach.

That was not a sentimental Bronny-LeBron scenario. A decade later, Matt Barnes told Jeff Teague on Club 520, which created problems in an already troubled team. “He brought his son over, and it was just some weird energy there,” Barnes said.

If that phrasing gets you, it’s because it’s true. Doc was also promoted to head of basketball operations in 2014. That gave him some leverage in bringing Austin to LA. At the moment, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin had some friction, and DeAndre Jordan was busy with his limelight. Doc bringing in Austin changed the dynamic. Especially after the contract.

“He paid his son. I’m not even mad. If I were in the position, I’d pay the s—t out of my son, too. But people don’t understand at the time what that did to people,” Barnes said kind of diplomatically but added, “he was making more than me, Jamal, JJ, like guys that were putting in real minutes, you know what I mean?”

Back then, Austin Rivers signed a three-year contract worth $35 million. That doesn’t seem too big till you realize that Barnes was paid less than $12 million. Lob City’s cornerstone, Jamal Crawford, was being paid only $5 million. DeAndre Jordan was being paid $10 million. JJ Redick was on a $27 million contract. Only Chris Paul and Blake Griffin out-earned him for obvious reasons.

This was among the many things that made Doc Rivers’ tenure at the Clippers controversial. While Barnes keeps it diplomatic, it’s obvious the difference in money still stung.

Doc Rivers affected the locker room atmosphere

Matt Barnes tries very hard to convince Teague that Doc Rivers was good for the fraught Clippers locker room. He, however, hasn’t made a secret of how he felt about his coach and teammate then. Last year, an Instagram post asked, “Why didn’t Lob City win a championship?” Joe Johnson blamed the Utah Jazz for beating the Clippers in 2017. But Barnes replied to Johnson, “Nah Doc broke that s– up when he paid his son that money. He lost the team after that.”

If it wasn’t enough in a single comment, he’s said that out loud. Without dropping the nepotism word, he pretty much says he gets why Doc paid his son more.

Austin’s $35 million payday had an unspoken effect on the team that was between the ownerships. “Without knowing kind of people looking at him [Austin] funny.” Austin was no slouch, but no one thought he was worth that much back then. Barnes doesn’t fault Austin and claims he’d have taken $35 million from whoever offered.

But the players’ perspective about Doc shifted. “Doc was the first coach that was ever traded for. Like we the Clippers traded for Doc and great motivational guy, great can make you believe, you know, Blue Waters, Purple, like great speaker, but just there was something missing there with him and and our in-game adjustments. And then when the son came, the energy with that, like guys weren’t really off that. So, there’s just too much mental that we couldn’t get over the hurdle.”

To be fair, things did improve under Doc’s reign. He was the leader to turn to amid Donald Sterling’s scandal. Despite the drama, he led the team to multiple playoff appearances and improved their regular-season record. The Clippers arguably had the most successful run in his reign.

Now Doc is with the Bucks, Austin is retired, Chris Paul is back with the Clippers, there’s new drama with the team’s ownership, and almost all of Lob City’s pillars have retired. But that grudge still burns strong.