{
  "id": 15680077,
  "title": "Boston Celtics alum Doc Rivers exhorts us to vote, pointing to civil rights struggles",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/20/boston-celtics-alum-doc-rivers-exhorts-us-to-vote-pointing-to-civil",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-20T01:18:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/boston-celtics-alum-doc-rivers-011808931.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Former Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers is urging citizens to exercise their right to vote, drawing parallels between the civil rights struggles of the past and the current state of US politics. Rivers' mother and father once stood in the rain to cast their ballots, highlighting the importance of voting even if the chosen candidate may not be perfect. He recalls his mother dressing up for the experience, treating it like a special occasion. Rivers notes that voting used to be effortless for many, but it is now becoming increasingly difficult. He emphasizes that once something is taken for granted, it can easily be stripped away. Rivers draws a comparison between his experience in sports and politics, stating that if one stops putting in the effort, they will eventually lose. He concludes by stressing the necessity of continued advocacy and hard work in order to safeguard the right to vote.",
  "summary": "\"My mom stood in the rain, and my dad stood in the rain to vote (...),\" said Rivers. \"Because half their lifetime, they couldn't.\"",
  "key_points": [
    "Former Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers urges citizens to vote.",
    "Rivers draws parallels between civil rights struggles and current US politics.",
    "Voting is becoming increasingly difficult and must be safeguarded."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Rivers uses his personal family history to frame voting as a hard-won privilege that requires constant civic effort to prevent the erosion of fundamental democratic rights.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Newsweek",
        "title": "Paul George Makes Emotional Admission About Joining Boston Celtics",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/19/paul-george-makes-emotional-admission-about-joining-boston-celtics",
        "published": "2026-10-19T23:07:14.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}