The Philadelphia 76ers officially hired Doc Rivers as their new head coach on Saturday.
Rivers, who parted ways with the Los Angeles Clippers after the team got bounced in the second round of the 2020 playoffs by the Denver Nuggets, is excited about his new job.
“I am really excited about the opportunity to be joining a world-class franchise, a franchise whose legend inspired my nickname,” Doc Rivers said, referencing Hall of Famer and Sixers great Julius “Dr. J” Erving, via Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
“This is a city that loves sports and loves their teams. It’s a city that values hard work and that is exactly what we are going to do and who we are going to be. We are ready to do good things in Philadelphia.”
The Sixers were swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2020 postseason at Walt Disney World. Brett Brown was fired as head coach after the team returned to Philadelphia from Orlando, Florida.
Rivers, who has coached the Orlando Magic, Celtics and Clippers, has a career coaching record of 943-681 in the regular season and 91-89 in the playoffs. He was the 2000 Coach of the Year with the Magic and won the 2008 championship with the Celtics over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Doc will be coaching two All-Stars on the Sixers in Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Embiid is one of the best centers in the NBA, while Simmons is a gifted floor general and defender.
The Sixers are expected to explore the trade market this offseason since the team needs more shooters around Embiid and Simmons. Most pundits expect the team to move on from Al Horford.
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