11:59 AM PT -- Doc Rivers just fired back at Trump ... with the LA Clippers head coach saying he really couldn't care less if POTUS stops watching the NBA over the kneeling protests.
"Well, we lost one guy," Doc said with a laugh. "I mean, so what? Like, really, I don't even care."
President Trump: "I'm not going to watch games."
— Farbod Esnaashari (@Farbod_E) August 5, 2020
Doc Rivers: "Well we lost one guy. So what?" pic.twitter.com/dhRuC9uTnd
Doc -- who was wearing a hat with the word "Vote" on it for his meeting with reporters Wednesday -- continued, "We know that justice is on our side, right?"
"And, this hat that I'm wearing is what our president is trying to get us to not do, which I think is just as disgraceful."
The clapback is just further evidence Doc and Donald's friendship has deteriorated to non-existent levels ... remember, the two used to be buds and were even spotted having a chummy meal together in 2015 in Los Angeles.
But Doc famously told us in 2016 he was voting for Hillary Clinton ... and he clearly hasn't changed his opinion of Donald much since then.
Saw this coming from a mile away ... but here's President Donald Trump going scorched earth on the NBA kneelers -- calling the demonstration "disgraceful."
"When I see people kneeling during the playing and disrespecting our flag and national anthem, what I do personally is turn off the game," Trump said Wednesday morning in a phone interview with "FOX & Friends."
"I think it's disgraceful. We work with [the NBA], we worked with them very hard trying to get open. I was pushing for them to get open. Then I see everybody kneeling during the anthem. That's not acceptable to me."
"When I see them kneeling during the game, I just turn off the game. I have no interest in the game. Let me tell you this, plenty of other people out there, too."
During the call, Trump also claimed NBA ratings are way down -- when according to TV sports media outlets, the rating are up 14% from the average before the season was suspended.
Trump added, "We have to stand up for our flag, stand up for our country. A lot of people agree with me. If I'm wrong, I'm going to lose an election. That's okay with me. I will always stand for our flag."
Trump has always hated kneeling -- and publicly blasted Colin Kaepernick and other NFL stars for taking a knee back in 2017 ... calling for the NFL fire any "son of a bitch" who doesn't stand for the Star-Spangled Banner.
Ever since the NBA rebooted last week, just about every player, coach, ref and staff member inside the Bubble have taken a knee during the anthem before games.
Only 4 people -- 2 players, 2 coaches -- have stood for the anthem.
LeBron James, who took a knee, said he hopes the demonstration makes Colin Kaepernick proud and helps to shine a spotlight on police brutality and social injustice affecting the Black community and others.
During the call, Trump also claimed he's done more for the Black community than any other president -- with the "possible exception of Abraham Lincoln."
Originally Published -- 7:57 AM PT