NICHOLASVILLE, Kentucky (AP) - An argument at a local McDonald's restaurant almost degenerated into a fistfight amongst the employees. Bernie Johnson, the manager of the restaurant, took full responsibility for the disturbance that saw several burgers thrown about. No one was injured. Johnson knew he was taking a risk by hiring former Orlando Magic head coach Doc Rivers.

"I felt sorry for the guy. He was down in the dumps just looking for a chance to prove himself again. Although his resume doesn't really fit the McDonald's mold I liked his leadership skills so I hired him on as shift coordinator. Unfortunately, that upset some of our more long-standing employees, one of them being George Karl," explained Johnson.

Refusing to be anyone's bitch, George Karl works the Drive-Thru with aplomb

Since being fired by the Milwaukee Bucks in the spring, Karl has been working his way up the McDonald's corporate ladder. He started out working the deep fryers but soon jumped into the role of drive-thru cashier.

"The drive-thru is our high pressure position. It's a glamour position with a lot of face time with the public, sure. But you've got to be on the ball, taking orders, expediting meals, making change, while barking out instructions to the rest of the staff. You've got to assume a position of authority while wearing that headset. It's not an easy job. George is great at multi-tasking so he's a natural. Lesser men, well lesser teenagers, have cracked in the past," said Johnson.

Happier times at the Nicholasville McDonalds Pickles took flight shortly after this photo was taken

Word amongst the restaurant employees was that Karl was unhappy with the hiring of Rivers right from the start. Although Johnson was aware that Karl and Rivers had an antagonistic relationship in past careers as NBA head coaches he figured that they could put the past behind them.

"I was never expecting them hang out in the Playland together but I assumed that both were team players who could put their differences aside for the sake of the company. You have to put your personal grudges aside. Heck maybe you should put your whole personality aside to work here."

Cashier Amber Sanderson saw it a different way.

"This wasn't just about their past personal differences," Sanderson explained, "George was mad that he had to start at the bottom while Doc immediately got a job as shift coordinator. Actually George is the least angry at that move. I've been busting my ass in this dump for over a year and I'm still a lousy cashier. I even missed the homecoming dance to work here."

Nicholasville, Kentucky, McDonalds - FANtastic!

The incident started when Karl took offence to a verbal upbraiding on someone on the burger assembly line. Karl stuck up for the employee and Rivers refused to back down. Soon pickles and patties were flying across the kitchen as the two screamed at the top of their lungs. Police stepped in once the Big Mac sauce guns were drawn.

Sanderson provided more details: "Technically, Doc was right. According to the rules you have to put the mustard on the burger before the ketchup. That's just the way burgers are made here. He was really nitpicking though. Maybe he had to prove that he was an authority figure here or something. I'm kind of with George on this thing. I mean, Doc chose one of our popular senior citizen employees to pick on. That wasn't a great move. Everybody who works here loves Lenny Wilkens."